Abstract: Isohexide dicarbamates and a method of preparing the same are described. The method involves reacting a mixture of an isohexide and a cynate salt in a non-aqueous solvent, with a miscible acid having a pKa of about 3.7 or less. The isohexide dicarbamates can serve as precursor materials from which various derivative compounds can be synthesized.

Abstract: Dicarbamates of the reduction products of 2-hydroxymethyl-5-furfural (HMF) and a method of preparing the same are described. The method involves reacting a mixture of an isohexide and a cynate salt in a non-aqueous solvent, with a miscible acid having a pKa of about 3.7 or less. The dicarbamates of HMF-reduction products can serve as precursor materials from which various derivative compounds can be synthesized.

Abstract: A process for preparing furanic mono- and/or di-sulfonate molecules from the reduction products of HMF, in particular, from either 2,5-bis-hydroxymethyltetrahydrofurans (THF-diols) or furan-2,5-dimethanol (FDM) under relatively mild conditions is described. The process involves reacting THF-diols or FDM with at least a sulfonate species, and a reagent of either 1) a nucleophilic base or 2) combination of a non-nucleophilic base and a nucleophile, as two separate reagents. The furanic sulfonates synthesized according to the process and some of the associated compounds that can be derivatized from the sulfonates are also provided.

Abstract: Linear mono- and dialkyl ethers of furan-2,5-dimethanol (FDM) and/or 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydrofuran (bHMTHF), methods for their preparation, and derivative chemical compounds thereof are described. In general, the synthesis process entails a reaction of FDM or bHMTHFs in a polar aprotic organic solvent having a permittivity ( )>8, at a temperature ranging from about ?25 C to about 100 C, with either a) an unhindered Brnsted base with a pKa?15 or b) a hindered Brnsted base having minimum pKa of about 16, and a nucleophile.

Abstract: A process for recovering and using an carboxylic acid derived from a fermentation broth by means of making an ester of the free carboxylic acid and alcohol in carbon dioxide (CO2) without the presence of any other acid catalyst at a reaction temperature and pressure that corresponds to supercritical, critical or near critical conditions for the alcohol and/or CO2 is described. The process can constitute part of a general process of refining carboxylic acids derived from a fermentation broth for use in the production of a variety of chemical compounds, such as C4 platform compounds, polymers, or fuels.

Abstract: The invention concerns diallylisoidide in a first aspect, and in a related aspect concerns an improved method for making the diallyl ether derivatives of anhydrohexitols generally, whether isosorbide, isomannide, isoidide or a mixture of two or all three of these, whereby these derivatives may be produced efficiently up to quantitative yields.

Abstract: Esters and a process for making esters from organic acids by means of reacting a carboxylic acid with dialkylcarbonate in an alcohol-containing solvent without any extrinsic acid or base catalyst is described. A benefit of the preparation process is that it can make the separation and extraction of ester products simpler and more facile vis-à-vis conventional isolation techniques.

Abstract: A method of making a mono-ether of an isohexide and art assemblage of novel. Song-chain isohexide mono-ethers are described. In particular, the method involves reacting an isohexide stereoisomer with a Bronsted base and an alkyl species. The resultant mono-ethers can serve as attractive antecedents or chemical scaffolds for making a derivative compound, such as various amphiphiles with potential uses as surfactants, dispersants, and lubricants, among others.

Abstract: Isohexide dicarbamates and a method of preparing the same are described. The method involves reacting a mixture of an isohexide and a cynate salt in a non-aqueous solvent, with a miscible acid having a pKa of about 3.7 or less. The isohexide dicarbamates can serve as precursor materials from which various derivative compounds can be synthesized.

Abstract: A simple and elegant chemical process for the synthesis of oxygenated products, such as acids and aldehydes, or other derivative products, such as amines and nitriles, of cyclic bifunctional molecules made from renewable, bio-based sources such as HMF and/or its reduction product, 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)-tetrahydrofuran (bHMTHF) is described. In general, the process involves: a) generating a tetrahydrofuran-2,5-diyl-bis(methylene)-bis(sulfonate) from bHMTHFs using a sulfonate; b) displacing nucleophilically at least a sulfonate leaving group from the tetrahydrofuran-2,5-diyl-bis(methylene)-bis(sulfonate) to form a THF-dinitrile; and either c) oxidizing the THF-dinitrile with an acid having a pKa of ?0 to generate a di-acid, or d) reducing partially the THF-dinitrile to generate a di-aldehyde, or e) reducing fully the THF-dinitrile to generate a di-amine.

Abstract: Tetrahydrofuran-(THF)-2,5-dicarbaldehyde and a process of preparing the same are described. The process involves reacting THF-diols in an inert organic solvent with an oxidizing agent at a temperature up to about 50 C. The process can use either HMF or THF-diols as starting materials, and enables a single-step conversion of THF-diols into a precursor material that can be transformed into a multitude of furanic derivative compounds. THF dicarbaldehyde can be modified according to certain reaction processes to generate either new or existing derivative compounds.

Abstract: Isohexide dicarbamates and a method of preparing the same are described. The method involves reacting a mixture of an isohexide and a cynate salt in a non-aqueous solvent, with a miscible acid having a pKa of about 3.7 or less. The isohexide dicarbamates can serve as precursor materials from which various derivative compounds can be synthesized.

Abstract: An improved, high yielding process is disclosed for making bisglycidyl ether derivatives of isosorbide, isomannide and/or isoidide, wherein up to quantitative yields overall are demonstrated. In another related aspect, a process is disclosed for making novel monoallyl, monoglycidyl ether derivatives or a combination of monoallyl, monoglycidyl ether derivatives and bisglycidyl ether derivatives via the same diallyl isohexide intermediate.

Abstract: 5-(hydroxymethyl)furan-2-carbaldehyde (HMF)-sulfonates and a method of preparing the same are described. The method involves reacting a mixture of 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF), with at least one of a) a trifluoromethanesulfonate anhydride (triflate), b) a p-toluene-sulfonyl halide (tosylate), and c) methane-sulfonyl halide (mesylate), and a reagent of either 1) a nucleophilic base or 2) a combination of a non-nucleophilic base and a nucleophile. The HMF-sulfonates (e.g., triflate, tosylate, mesylate, etc. analogs of HMF) can serve as precursor materials from which various derivative compounds can be synthesized.

Abstract: Dicarbamates of the reduction products of 2-hydroxymethyl-5-furfural (HMF) and a method of preparing the same are described. The method involves reacting a mixture of an isohexide and a cynate salt in a non-aqueous solvent, with a miscible acid having a pKa of about 3.7 or less. The dicarbamates of HMF-reduction products can serve as precursor materials from which various derivative compounds can be synthesized.

Abstract: Isohexide monotriflate compounds and a method of preparing the same are described. The method involves reacting a mixture of an isohexide, a trifluoromethanesulfonate anhydride, and either 1) a nucleophilic base or 2) a combination of a non-nucleophilic base and a nucleophile. The isohexide monotriflate compounds can serve as precursor materials from which various derivative compounds can be synthesized.

Abstract: A process is described for the acid-catalyzed dehydration of a sugar alcohol, wherein the catalyst comprises a water-tolerant Lewis acid. In particular embodiments, the catalyst comprises a homogeneous water-tolerant Lewis acid, especially a homogeneous Lewis acid selected from the group consisting of bismuth (III) triflate, gallium (III) triflate, scandium (III) triflate, aluminum triflate, tin (II) triflate and indium (III) triflate. Such catalysts are effective for dehydrating both of sorbitol and the 1,4-sorbitan dehydration precursor of isosorbide, and bismuth (III) triflate particularly is beneficial for dehydrating mannitol to isomannide.

Abstract: A process for producing for producing biofuels compounds directly from carboxylic acid esters recovered from a fermentation system is described. The process involves taking a fermentation broth that has been reduced to a dry powder containing free organic acids; reacting the carboxylic acid in the powder with an alcohol solvent under a CO2-containing atmosphere in substantial absence of any other acid catalyst at a reaction temperature and pressure that corresponds to supercritical, critical or near critical conditions for at least one of the alcohol or CO2 to synthesize an ester, then subjecting the ester to either hydrogenolysis or hydrogenation to form a biofuel.

Abstract: A process for recovering and using an carboxylic acid derived from a fermentation broth by means of making an ester of the free carboxylic acid and alcohol in carbon dioxide (CO2) without the presence of any other acid catalyst at a reaction temperature and pressure that corresponds to supercritical, critical or near critical conditions for the alcohol and/or CO2 is described. The process can constitute part of a general process of refining carboxylic acids derived from a fermentation broth for use in the production of a variety of chemical compounds, such as C4 platform compounds, polymers, or fuels.

Abstract: The production of organic acids in low-cost, high-efficiency fermentation system makes available a new route to chemical production from biomass. A process for producing a hydrogenation product involving carboxylic acid esters recovered directly from a fermentation process is described.