From crops to products for crops: preserving the ecosystem through the use of bio-based molecules

• Published in: Oléagineux corps gras lipides Vol. 23; no. 5; p. D510
• Main Authors: Godard, Anaïs, de Caro, Pascale, Vedrenne, Emeline, Mouloungui, Zéphirin, Thiebaud-Roux, Sophie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Montrouge EDP Sciences 01.09.2016; EDP
• Subjects: Agricultural production; biocontrol; Biological control; Chains; Chemical industry; Cleavage; Crops; ecodesign; Fatty acids; green process; Hydrogen peroxide; Life Sciences; Lipophilic; Molecular chains; Oleic acid; Organic chemistry; Oxidation; Oxidative scission; Purification; Substrates; Sustainable development; Tungsten; Vegetable oils; écosystème; biocarburant; ecosystem; développement durable; biofuel; oxidative scission; fatty acid; sustainable development; huile de tournesol; sunflower oil; green process; acide oléique; scission oxydative; acide gras; oleic-acid; biocontrol; ecodesign
• ISSN: 2272-6977; 1258-8210; 2257-6614; 1950-697X
• DOI: 10.1051/ocl/2016037

In a context of dwindling oil reserves and environmental pressures, the chemical industry needs to innovate by developing new processes for producing bioproducts from raw plant materials. Unsaturated fatty acids from vegetable oils constitute a highly promising renewable resource that can be used to diversify productions, decreasing reliance on petroleum. A starting material rich in oleic acid has been obtained through the selection of high-oleic sunflower varieties and enzymatic hydrolysis of the oil they produce. The double bonds of this unsaturated raw material have been cleaved in green oxidizing conditions involving a biphasic lipophilic-aqueous system including hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant and a peroxo-tungsten complex Q3 {PO2[WO(O2)2]4} as a phase-transfer catalyst (PTC) and co-oxidant. This PTC efficiently transferred oxygen to the substrate in the lipophilic phase. A mono-acid (pelargonic acid) and a di-acid (azelaic acid), with shorter, unusual hydrocarbon chains not present in the natural state, were synthesized and purified through an intensive process. Pelargonic acid was then formulated as an environmentally friendly biocontrol agent for weeds. We extended this green process of oxidative scission to other fatty acids and derivatives, to obtain other short-chain acids with diverse potential applications. This production chain (crops, reaction and purification processes, products, applications) is based on a sustainable development strategy.