Yi‐Pei Li, M. Head‐Gordon, A. Bell
Jun 18, 2015
Citations
1
Influential Citations
13
Citations
Journal
ACS Catalysis
Abstract
A sustainable route has been reported for the production of terephthalic acid (PTA) from 5-(hydroxymethyl)furoic acid (HMFA) and ethylene, both of which can be derived from biomass. This process starts with the production of 4-(hydroxymethyl)benzoic acid (HMBA) from HMFA and ethylene catalyzed by Sn-BEA. The subsequent oxidation of HMBA leads to PTA. The present study reports the results of a detailed computational investigation of the mechanism of HMBA synthesis from ethylene and HMFA mediated by Sn-BEA. Density functional theory calculations show that the formation of HMBA proceeds via Diels–Alder cycloaddition of HMFA and ethylene, which is rate-limiting, followed by Lewis acid-catalyzed dehydration. The solution-phase reaction and six different pathways in Sn-BEA, including one pathway on the Si site and five different pathways on the Sn site, are investigated for the Diels–Alder cycloaddition of HMFA and ethylene. Energy decomposition analysis (EDA) shows that the Sn site stabilizes the transition st...