Abstract: A process is described for producing 1,3-butanediol, wherein an ester of poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate such as formed by transesterification with an alcohol is reduced by hydrogenation in the presence of a skeletal copper-based catalyst to provide 1,3-butanediol. The 1,3-butanediol may be transesterified by reaction with additional poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate ester to produce (R)-3-hydroxybutyl (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate.

Abstract: A hydrogenolysis process is disclosed for directly converting a sugar feed comprised of a high fructose feedstock, a high sucrose feedstock, or a combination of these to a mixed lower polyols product including both propylene glycol and ethylene glycol. The process provides greater propylene glycol selectivity than ethylene glycol selectivity such that the propylene glycol is present to a greater extent than the ethylene glycol in the mixed lower polyols product. The sugar feed and a source of hydrogen are supplied to a reaction vessel and reacted in the presence of a hydrogenolysis catalyst comprising molybdenum (Mo) and ruthenium (Ru).

Abstract: A process is provided for making esters of FDCA, in which an aqueous feed comprising glucaric acid is first reacted with a high boiling first alcohol in the presence of an acid catalyst and with removing water during the reaction, to form a first product mixture comprising a first ester of FDCA and the high boiling first alcohol, then unreacted high boiling first alcohol is removed from the first product mixture. The first ester of FDCA and the high boiling first alcohol is then transesterified with a lower boiling second alcohol selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, isopropanol and n-propanol, to form a second product mixture comprising a second ester of FDCA with the lower boiling second alcohol, and the second ester of FDCA with the lower boiling second alcohol is recovered.

Abstract: Processes for separating a di-carboxylic acid or salt thereof from a mixture containing the di-carboxylic acid or salt thereof and one or more other components are provided. Also separation media useful for these separation processes is provided. In particular, processes for preparing an aldaric acid are described, such as glucaric acid from glucose, which includes separating the aldaric acid from the reaction product. Also, various glucaric acid products are described.

Abstract: Sugar-based mono and diesters are prepared by esterification of 2,5-furan-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) with an alcohol in the presence of low loadings of a homogeneous organotin (IV) catalyst.

Abstract: An integrated process is useful for producing 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and/or a derivative thereof from a six-carbon sugar-containing feed. The process includes a) dehydrating a feed containing a six-carbon sugar unit, in the presence of a bromine source and of a solvent, to generate an oxidation feed that contains at least one of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and/or a derivative or derivatives of HMF in the solvent, together with at least one bromine containing species; b) contacting the oxidation feed from step (a) with a metal catalyst and with an oxygen source under oxidation conditions to produce an oxidation product mixture of at least FDCA and/or a derivative thereof, the solvent, and a residual catalyst; c) purifying and separating the mixture obtained in step (b) to obtain FDCA and/or a derivative thereof and the solvent; and d) recycling at least a portion of the solvent obtained in step (c) to step (a).

Abstract: Processes are disclosed for the synthesis of an ?-amino acid or ?-amino acid derivative, from a starting compound or substrate having a carbonyl functional group (C?O), with hydroxy-substituted carbon atoms at alpha (?) and beta (?) positions, relative to the carbonyl functional group. According a particular embodiment, an ?-, ?-dihydroxy carboxylic acid or carboxylate is dehydrated to form a dicarbonyl intermediate by transformation of the ?-hydroxy group to a second carbonyl group (adjacent a carbonyl group of the starting compound) and removal of the ?-hydroxy group. The dicarbonyl intermediate is optionally cracked to form a second, in this case cracked, dicarbonyl intermediate having fewer carbon atoms relative to the dicarbonyl intermediate but preserving the first and second carbonyl groups. Either or both of the dicarbonyl intermediate and the cracked dicarbonyl intermediate may be aminated to convert the second carbonyl group to an amino (—NH2) group, for producing the corresponding ?-amino acid(s).

Abstract: Processes are disclosed for the synthesis of a cracked product or an end product, from a starting compound or substrate having a carbonyl functional group (C?O), with hydroxy-substituted carbon atoms at alpha (?) and beta (?) positions, relative to the carbonyl functional group. According a particular embodiment, an ?-, ?-dihydroxy carboxylic acid or carboxylate is dehydrated to form a dicarbonyl intermediate by transformation of the ?-hydroxy group to a second carbonyl group and removal of the ?-hydroxy group. The dicarbonyl intermediate is cracked to form the cracked product, in which the first and second carbonyl groups are preserved. Either or both of (i) the cracked product and (ii) a second cracked product generated from cleavage of a carbon-carbon bond of the dicarbonyl intermediate, may be further converted (e.g., by hydrogenation) to one or more end products, which, like the cracked product(s), also having fewer carbon atoms relative to the dicarbonyl intermediate and substrate.

Abstract: Processes are disclosed for the synthesis of 2-substituted furan derivatives, such as furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA), from a starting compound or substrate having a carbonyl functional group (C?O), with hydroxy-substituted carbon atoms at alpha (?) and beta (?) positions, relative to the carbonyl functional group. According a particular embodiment, an ?-, ?-dihydroxy carboxylate is dehydrated to form a dicarbonyl intermediate by transformation of the ?-hydroxy group to a second carbonyl group and removal of the ?-hydroxy group. The dicarbonyl intermediate undergoes cyclization and dehydration, to produce the 2-substituted furan derivative. Optionally, a further step of oxidation may be carried out, for example to convert a hydroxymethyl group, as a 5-substituted about the furan ring, to a carboxy group of FDCA.

Abstract: A method is provided for separating a dicarboxylic acid product from a mixture containing such dicarboxylic acids. The method involves: providing a dicarboxylic acid-containing mixture of which at least 35% of the carboxylic acid content of the mixture is a dicarboxylic acid product of interest; running an extraction of said dicarboxylic acid-containing mixture through a chromatographic column configured with an amphoteric resin, such that the dicarboxylic acid product elutes preferentially from the dicarboxylic acid-containing mixture. In certain embodiments, the dicarboxylic acid product of interest can be a glucaric or gluconic acid product from a mixture of either or both of these with still other carboxylic acids.

Abstract: An edible bean seed designated as <11278> or COWBOY, a sample of the edible bean deposited under accession no. PI 678951 is disclosed. Methods of using the edible bean seed designated as <11278> or COWBOY for breeding new varieties of bean seed are also disclosed, as well as seeds of the edible bean seed designated as <11278> or COWBOY.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for the production of bio-based polymers (e.g., polymers made from glucose), including polyesters, as well as end products resulting from such production, in which one or more color stabilizing additive compounds is utilized. The additive(s) may be used in the stabilization of a monomer or prepolymer that is reacted in such production methods, prior to obtaining the polymer. Particular bio-based polymers are those having furandicarboxylate moieties or residues in their backbone structure, with poly(alkylene furan dicarboxylate) polymers, such as polyethylene furan dicarboxylate) (PEF) and poly(trimethylene furan dicarboxylate) (PTF) being representative.

Abstract: An epoxy resin composition is provided which comprises an epoxy resin and a reactive diluent comprising one or more of the monoesters of epoxidized soy oil characterized by a ratio of mols of epoxide groups to mols of ester on the whole of at least 1.35:1. A thermoset plastic composition is also provided which comprises an epoxy resin composition as described, with an amine curing agent.

Abstract: The present invention discloses processes for obtaining a color from an algal biomass. The process includes subjecting an algal biomass to cavitation, thus at least partially disrupting cells of the algal biomass and extracting color from the disrupted, algal biomass.

Abstract: Compositions comprising renewable source derived polymer oil polymerization macroinitiators and multiblock polymer compositions derived therefrom by atom transfer radical polymerization are disclosed. Hard, glossy multiblock copolymers, thermoset multiblock copolymers, thermoplastic block copolymer elastomers, and methods of making and using these types of materials are disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed are catalysts comprised of platinum and gold. The catalysts are generally useful for the selective oxidation of compositions comprised of a primary alcohol group and at least one secondary alcohol group wherein at least the primary alcohol group is converted to a carboxyl group. More particularly, the catalysts are supported catalysts including particles comprising gold and particles comprising platinum, wherein the molar ratio of platinum to gold is in the range of about 100:1 to about 1:4, the platinum is essentially present as Pt(0) and the platinum-containing particles are of a size in the range of about 2 to about 50 nm. Also disclosed are methods for the oxidative chemocatalytic conversion of carbohydrates to carboxylic acids or derivatives thereof. Additionally, methods are disclosed for the selective oxidation of glucose to glucaric acid or derivatives thereof using catalysts comprising platinum and gold. Further, methods are disclosed for the production of such catalysts.

Abstract: Methods of identifying genes conferring ethanol tolerance in yeasts, genes that confer ethanol tolerance, and mutant strains used to identify such genes are described. A gene herein designated HpETT1 was isolated from the yeast Hansenula polymorpha. Expression of HpETT1 in an ethanol sensitive mutant H. polymorpha strain designated 7E complimented ethanol sensitivity of the mutant. When multiple copies of the HpETT1 were integrated into the genome and overexpressed, the transformed strain demonstrated approximately 10-fold greater resistance to ethanol and resistance to the protein misfolding agent AZC. Expression of HpETT1 also increased ethanol tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. HpEtt1 has 39% sequence identity to a previously identified protein from S. cerevisiae denoted MPE1, however, the MPE1 gene does not confer ethanol resistance to the 7E mutant.

Abstract: A method for preparing sugar-based mono and diesters is described. The process entails the esterification of 2,5-furan-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) with an alcohol in the presence of low loadings of a homogeneous organotin (IV) catalyst.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for synthesizing useful intermediates and/or products from 1,2,5,6-hexanetetrol (HTO), which itself can be derived from a sugar. In an aspect, a process is provided for production of THFDCA from 1,2,5,6-hexanetetrol (HTO). The process comprises the steps of (a) ring closing to form a ring compound and (b) oxidizing using a catalyst comprising platinum and bismuth to form an acid mixture. Step (a) may be performed before or after step (b).

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards compositions comprising a lecithin; a sugar alcohol, a sugar, or combinations of any thereof; and an alcohol. Compositions comprising a water soluble surfactant are further disclosed. Methods of separating oil from a mixture are disclosed. Methods of dispersing an oil are further disclosed. Compositions comprising a water-dilutable microemulsion are disclosed. Methods of making chewing gum are disclosed. Methods of recovering oil from a mixture are further disclosed.