Fine chemicals value chain

An example of the value-added chain extending from commodities through fine chemicals to a pharmaceutical specialty is shown in Table 1.1. The product chosen is Pfizer s anticholesterol drug Lipitor (atorvastatin), the world s top-selling drug with sales of 12 billion in 2004. The value-added chain extends from a Ci molecule, methanol (left side of the table) all the way to a C33 molecule, atorvastatin. The structure of compound III in Table 1.1 is as follows ... 

For the value of fine chemicals used in speciality chemicals outside life sciences, only a best guess is possible. Issues such as at what stage of the supply chain the end price is determined (wholesaler, supermarket, or specialty boutique), what is the exact concentration of the embedded fine... 

Whether the end product is a pharmaceutical or a plastic bag, each industry is part of a value chain. The pharmaceutical company that markets the drug depends on fine chemicals or speciality producers to make the active pharmaceutical or its precursors. In turn, the commodity chemical companies supply the building blocks for the basic fine chemicals, whilst the refiners produce the feedstock for the commodity chemical companies. 

Owing to these developments, microbial PHA has formed an industrial value chain ranging from industrial fermentation, materials, medicine, and biofuels to fine chemicals. More and more applications are the subject of intensive research. Globally, more than 20 companies have been established to commercialize these developments (Chen 2009a Fig. 1). 

On the other hand, also two CO2 molecules may react with a different number of ethene molecules yielding for instance maleic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid or long-chain dicarboxylic acids. Also these products are either bulk or fine chemicals of high commercial value. 

Fig. 8 PHAs are developing into a bio- and material industrial value chain with applications ranging from industrial microbiology, plastics, biofuels, medicines and fine chemicals [3]...

Chain elongation and chain branching of aldehydes via C-C bond formation reactions initiated with a hydroformylation step are of huge synthetic value for the construction of bulk and fine chemicals. Especially in the last years, the total synthesis of natural products and pharmaceutically important compounds has benefited from these approaches. Different methodologies will be discussed in detail here. 

Figure 16.9 Polyhydroxyalkanoates and its related technologies are forming an industrial value chain ranging from fermentation, materials, fine chemicals, energy to medical fields. ...

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