CAS Makes New Progress in Manufacture of PTA Derivatives from Biomass

The Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS, had made new progress in its study on a novel pathway for synthesis of diethyl terephthalate. This novel synthesis route adopts the biomass-based muconic acid as the staring material with can react with ethanol and ethylene to directly synthesize diethyl terephthalate through a series of reactions including esteri fi cation, the Diels-Alder reaction and dehydrogenation.

The reactants after being subject to the connected in series reactions covering esteri fi cation, ring addition and dehydrogenation can lead to an overall yield of diethyl terephthalate equating to 80.6%, while the product can be separated and puri fi ed via the conventional distillation process, which has provide a new technical route for manufacture of PTA derivative without going through involvement of PX.