Micromidas, Inc.

Katherine Brune

Dennis A Hucul

Makoto Nathanael Masuno

Ryan L Smith

Patrick B Smith

John Bissell

Dimitri A Hirsch-Weil

Edmund J Stark

Alex Benjamin Wood

Douglas Cannon

Daniel Randolph Henton

Adina Dumitrascu

John A Bissell

The present disclosure provides methods to produce para-xylene, toluene, and other compounds from renewable sources (e.g., cellulose, hemicellulose, starch, sugar) and ethylene in the presence of a catalyst. For example, cellulose and/or hemicellulose may be converted into 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), which may be converted into para-xylene by cycloaddition of ethylene to DMF. Para-xylene can then be oxidized to form terephthalic acid.

Methods of producing para-xylene and terephthalic acid

The present disclosure provides methods to produce para-xylene, toluene, and other compounds from renewable sources (e.g., cellulose, hemicellulose) and ethylene in the presence of an acid, such as a Lewis acid. For example, cellulose and/or hemicellulose may be converted into 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) and 2-methylfuran, which may be converted into para-xylene and toluene, respectively. In particular, para-xylene can then be oxidized to form terephthalic acid.

Methods of producing para-xylene

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Midland, MI, United States of America

Katherine Brune