Two-platform concept biorefinery

Two-platform concept biorefinery Another form of biorefinery, which has been recently defined by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) (www.nrel.gov/biomass/biorefinery.html) is the two-platform concept biorefinery. 

Figure 1.11 Simplified schematic diagram of a two-platform concept biorefinery...

Main type of conversion processes applied thermochemical biorefineries, biochemical biorefineries, two platform concept biorefineries. 

The next two sections of this review chapter will introduce the reader to the world of lactic acid. The acid is both a key platform chemical of the biorefinery concept, from which other interesting molecules may be formed (Sect. 2), and a monomer for commercial bioplastic polylactic acid (PLA) (Sect. 3). In the platform approach, the assessment from Chap. 1 in this volume [23] proves its value, as it is an equally useful tool to seek out the most desired routes for transforming a biomass-derived platform molecule as it is to select the most relevant carbohydrate-based chemicals from a chemist s point of view. In what follows, the desired catalytic cascade from cellulose to lactic acid will be described (Sect. 4) as well as the specific catalytic data reported for different feedstock (Sects. 5 and 6). Section 7 will introduce the reader to recent synthesis routes for other useful AHA compounds such as furyl and vinyl glycolic acid, as well as others shown in Fig. 1. Before concluding this chapter, Sect. 8 will provide a note on the stereochemistry of the chemically produced AHAs. 

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