Page 167 - CW E-Magazine (25-2-2025)

Special Report

A rapid wrap-up of what’s new in Operations,

Processes and Products

Renewable Raw Materials

Environmental sustainability
evaluation of glycerol (G)
and propylene (P)-based
pathways to acrylic acid
(AA) via different
intermediates
Y. Bansod et al have discussed the
use of bio-based glycerol (10% of
biodiesel) to make AA. Intermediates
can be acrolein, allyl alcohol, or lactic
acid. Environmental impacts, includ-
ing global warming potential, water
footprint, acidification, eutrophication,

Highly efficient synthesis Solvent-free production of
of lysergic acid (LA) using high-value amphipathic esters
engineered budding yeast derived from byproduct
stream of biomass processing
N. Wu et al have worked on making
LA, which is the basic precursor for M. del Valle Santos et al have worked on
the biosynthesis of various ergot alka- free fatty acids from vegetable oils and
loids of pharma importance. To avoid fusel oil (FO) from bioethanol production
dependence on highly costly and toxic to produce isoamyl esters. The esterifica-
crop-pathogenic ergot fungi biochemical tion reactions were studied in a systematic
route is explored, which has so far been way and homogeneous acid catalysts
satisfactory. These authors have adopted were tested in contrast to an immobilised
metabolic engineering strategy for effi- lipase from Candida antartica. The lipase
cient LA production. A series of steps led yielded esters free from byproducts. Thus,
to enhanced production of LA and the FO emerged as a green and inexpensive
final engineered strain produced LA at raw material to produce emulsifiers. (Ind.
509.8 mg per litre. (Green Chem., 2024; Eng. Chem. Res., 2024; DOI: 10.1021/acs. ozone layer depletion, photochemical
DOI: 10.1039/D4GC03756A). iecr.4C02531). smog, and human toxicity have been
evaluated. It seems G based processes
exhibit significant environmental
impacts mainly due to the energy-
intensive production of epichlorohydrin
derived G. Purified G from biodiesel
reduces considerably the environmen-
tal impact. (Green Chem., 2024; DOI:
10.1039/D4GC01329H).

Chemical Weekly February 25, 2025 167

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