2026 patents
- 2 patent applications
2026 publications
Butenko, Vladislav; Simon, Pardis; Trentesaux, Martine; Berrier, Elise; Marinova, Maya; Bria, Marc; Rankin, Andrew; Ben Tayeb, Karima; Zhou, Wenjuan; Zaffran, Jeremie; Ordomsky, Vitaly, ACS Catalysis (2026), accepted
A. Beuque, M. Simon E. Marx, J. Zaffran, P. de Fremont, S. Mastroianni, S. Jeol, RSC Sustainability (2026), Advance article.
Recent advances in innovative recycling technologies enable the efficient recovery of high-quality monomers like terephthalic acid (TPA) from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste. Building on these advancements, Syensqo aims to produce sustainable high-performance polymers, such as Ryton® polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), using TPA as a starting material. To address this alternative, the double decarbonylation of terephthaloyl chloride (TdCl), derived from TPA, to produce para-dichlorobenzene (p-DCB), a key monomer of PPS, was evaluated. Two types of processes were assessed: liquid and gas phase decarbonylation. Both approaches achieved a similar turnover frequency of ∼30 h−1 in p-DCB. In the liquid phase, the Wilkinson catalyst RhCl(PPh3)3 allows the transformation of TdCl into p-DCB with a maximum yield of 90% obtained under inert and solvent-free conditions in 4 hours at 220 °C. However, this route was hindered by the formation of regulated by-products, raising environmental concerns. In the gas-phase reaction, Pd-based catalysts were used, achieving up to 95% yield to p-DCB in 1 hour at 360 °C, with a total weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 25 h−1 . Switching the catalyst support from alumina to carbon significantly enhanced the catalytic activity by promoting the formation of an active carbide phase and reducing catalyst deactivation. Finally, a full manufacturing cost (FMC) assessment from TPA to p-DCB, covering variable costs, fixed costs, and its environmental footprint, is reported.
K. Y. E. Late, D. Denis, P. N. Amaniampong, T. Chave, J. A. Delgado, F. Jérôme, Green Chemistry (2026), 28, 3837-3846
Using the O-demethylation of syringol as a model reaction, we investigated and clarified the reaction mechanism occurring at the cavitation bubble–water interface. By combining kinetic data, experimental tests, and product analysis, we demonstrated that water at this interface reaches a supercritical state, with a roughly estimated temperature of around 400° ± 35 °C. Under these conditions, syringol mainly undergoes thermal cracking, predominantly forming 3-methoxycatechol. By controlling the solution temperature and the nature of the gaseous atmosphere, we were able to modulate the energy released at the bubble collapse time, thereby minimizing over-cracking reactions and enhancing the selectivity toward 3-methoxycatechol (up to 88%). With these findings, we assessed the potential of this catalyst-free technology for a possible implementation in the field of chemistry. In this context, we identified avenues for improvement, particularly in terms of reactor productivity and energy efficiency to better align with industrial standards of the field.
P. Wang, C. Ma, A. Bocahut, S. Dacquin-Mora, C. Michel, N. Gilet, Journal of Catalysis (2026), 457, 116818.
Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) is a sulfur-containing polymer widely used in high-performance materials. Its stability makes PPS challenging to recycle. Herein, we report a computational study of the catalysis of the oxidation of dimeric PPS (DPS) to its sulfoxide derivative (DPSO) by DszC, a flavin-dependent monooxygenase from the 4S pathway. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations reveal that DPS preferentially localizes near the flavin C4a-hydroperoxide intermediate within DszC’s hydrophobic cavity. Analysis of hydrogen-bond networks around the C4a-hydroperoxide hydrogen and oxygen atoms highlighted five distinct starting structures for hybrid QM/MM Nudged Elastic Band calculations involving intramolecular stabilization with the D-ribitol tail, intermolecular contacts with His391 and Tyr96, and two water-mediated networks. Free energy barrier analysis demonstrated that enhanced stabilization of the proximal oxygen of the flavin C4a-hydroperoxide lowers the proximal O-O bond cleavage barrier. Indeed, the lowest barrier is observed when both His391 and Tyr96 residues are involved in the hydrogen bond network with the reactant. Moreover, a water molecule also stabilizes the transition state via hydrogen bonding with the distal oxygen, yielding a comparable barrier. These findings suggest that enzymatic DPS oxidation by DszC protein is feasible in conditions close to the one used in biodesulfurization (30°C), opening the way of new biodegradation pathway of PPS polymers.
2025 patents
- 5 patent applications
2025 publications
J. A. Delgado, A. Yada, R. Wischert, S. Streiff, Catal. Today. (2025), 460, 115467.
This work evaluates the impact of various parameters on bimetallic catalysts in the hydrogenation of amides to amines, using systematic experimental and data-driven methods. Bimetallic catalysts were synthesized via a sequential wet impregnation approach and tested on the hydrogenation of N,N-dimethyldodecanamide to N,N-dimethyldodecanamine. The choice of metal precursors, supports, and the oxophilic metal significantly influenced the catalytic performance. Data-driven analysis indicates that oxophilic metals with large electronegativity and weak O adsorption display higher conversion, whereas those with large enthalpy of fusion exhibit higher amine selectivity.
Z. Cao, X. Zhao, Q. Yang, W. Zhou, H. Xu, Y. Guan, P. Wu, J. Chem. Technol. Biotechnol. (2025), 100, 1831-1837.
BACKGROUND
The sustainable synthesis of cyclopentanone from biomass-derived furfural and/or furfuryl alcohol has attracted widespread attention in the carbon-neutral industry. In this study, we investigated the influence of support textural properties and acidity on the catalytic performance of supported CuNi alloy nanoparticles (5 wt%–5 wt%).
RESULTS
CuNi alloy particles with a size of approximately 16 nm were obtained on SiO2 and Al-containing siliceous materials (Al-MCM-41, MCM-22, USY-6, ZSM-5 and H-Beta). The number of total acid sites follows the trend of 5Cu5Ni/H-Beta (1.37 mmol g−1) > 5Cu5Ni/ZSM-5 (1.03 mmol g−1) > 5Cu5Ni/MCM-22 (0.87 mmol g−1) > 5Cu5Ni/USY-6 (0.70 mmol g−1) > 5Cu5Ni/Al2O3 (0.35 mmol g−1) > 5Cu5Ni/SiO2 (0.24 mmol g−1). 5Cu5Ni/ZSM-5 shows the largest amount of strong acid sites with ca 0.43 mmol g−1. Catalytic tests indicated that furfuryl alcohol is a more effective starting reagent for this process than furfural. When an aqueous solution of furfuryl alcohol (5 wt%) was used, 5Cu5Ni/H-Beta exhibited 67% selectivity for cyclopentanone with almost 100% furfuryl alcohol conversion. Moreover, the 5Cu5Ni/H-Beta catalyst exhibited good reusability.
CONCLUSION
Supports with moderately acidic sites and fewer strongly acidic sites (MCM-41, MCM-22, USY-6 and H-Beta) favored the tandem synthesis of cyclopentanone from furfuryl alcohol. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
T. Gao, W. Sun, H. Wang, J. Zhang, Z. Yan, M. Trentesaux, M. Marinova, C. Wang, V. Ordomsky, S. Paul, J. Cataly., (2025), 449, 116217.
Styrene oxide is an important intermediate in many chemical syntheses. It can be produced through the epoxidation of styrene using supported metal catalysts. However, the catalytic performance and stability of these catalysts are negatively affected by the mass transfer, diffusional limitations and leaching of metals from supports. In this work, a hydroxyl-substituted bidentate 2D Schiff-base COF supported Fe3O4 particles catalyst (Fe-COF) is developed for styrene epoxidation using H2O2 as oxidant. Fe-COF catalyst possesses an eclipsed layered-sheet structure with a uniform distribution of Fe3O4 particles. Supported Fe3O4 particles as the active sites are responsible for the adsorption of styrene and generation of reactive oxygen radicals through the Fenton process. The presence of the extensive π-electron delocalization effect over COF support facilitates the electron transfer between Fe2+ and Fe3+ sites on Fe-COF catalyst during the reaction, accelerating the Fenton process, thus Fe-COF catalyst even shows a higher catalytic activity (86.0 % conversion of styrene and 88.0 % selectivity to styrene oxide) compared with homogeneous Fenton catalyst (Fe(NO3)3). In addition, Fe-COF catalyst demonstrates good stability after 5 recycles without Fe leaching, due to the coordination of Fe3O4 particles with the imine and hydroxyl groups in COF support.
S. Behloul, Z. Yan, K. De Oliveira Vigier, F. Guégan, F. Jérôme, ChemSusChem., (2025), e202500318.
In this report, the synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from concentrated feeds of two low-cost and industrially abundant chemicals: Furfural and formaldehyde is explored. By adjusting the acidity of the solvent, an alternative mechanism is discovered in which the reaction selectivity stops to the hydroxymethylation step, in contrast to previously reported acid-catalyzed pathways leading to the formation of the bisfuranic dimer as a major product. One of the keys of this study relies on the reversible derivation of the –CHO group of furfural with N,N-Dimethylhydrazine which plays a dual role: (1) it restores the nucleophilicity of the furan ring and (2) it reacts with HCHO to form in situ an electrophilic zwiterrionic species stabilized through hydrogen transfer. By means of experimental and theoretical investigations, this reaction is optimized and it is discovered that guaiacol can be used as a bio-based and safe solvent. Under optimized conditions, the hydroxymethylation of the furan ring of furfural occurs with more than 95% selectivity, at only 50 °C and with a stoichiometric amount of HCHO. A concentrated feed of furfural as high as 40 wt% in guaiacol can be employed without impacting the reaction selectivity, leading to an improvement of the reactor productivity to about 25 kg m−3 h−1. The recovery of the reaction products and the recycling of the N,N-dimehylhydrazone are also discussed.
Abel Cousin, Richard Martin, Maryam Momtaz, Sébastien Paul, Vincent Phalip, Egon Heuson, J. Cataly, (2025), 29, 113898.
Polymer depolymerization after use represents a significant challenge to reduce both the environmental impact of plastic pollution and the utilization of non-sustainable raw materials. Recently, there has been a demand to form a coherent strategy for the analysis of polymer degradation, of which, some approaches have been observed to be used inappropriately or incompletely. This article proposes an analysis strategy for monitoring the depolymerization of poly(bisphenol-A carbonate) (PBPAC), using methanolysis as a model method. It is based on five analytical methods, which our study attempts to combine and compare according to their ideal use case: size exclusion chromatography (SEC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization − Time of Flight spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF). This strategy allows both a qualitative approach, where the depolymerization products can be identified and a quantitative one, where the percentage of polymer degradation can be determined, together with the detection limit of each associated technique (i.e. 0.06 %, 20 %, 10 %, 8 % and 0.5 % for SEC, HPLC, FT-IR, NMR and MALDI-TOF respectively). As a result, the range of applications for each analytical method is assessed, and a guide to determine the minimum methods to be used to qualify and quantify degradation is proposed, in relation to the progress of degradation and the yields obtained. This has enabled us to characterize and propose a new quantitative FT-IR-based methodology, compatible with high-throughput screening, to study the degradation of PBPAC, allowing for quantification of degradation from 10 % onwards.
Jeremie Zaffran, Jing Yu, Sebastien Paul, Qingyi Gu, ChemCatChem., (2025), 17, e202500093.
Nowadays, nanomaterials are central in modern technology, finding applications in a huge variety of scientific fields, such as catalysis. Besides their chemical nature, their morphology also appears to play a key role in catalytic processes. Although this effect has been extensively observed in literature, no fundamental explanation has been provided yet. In this work, taking anthraquinone hydrogenation on Pd as a model process, we used density functional theory (DFT) computation to address the particle shape effect. Based on previously published experimental results, we compared the catalytic properties of cubic and octahedral nanoparticles, considering different facet orientations and edge defects to simulate geometry and the size influence. We were able to correlate the morphological impact on the surface activity and selectivity with electronic charges of various intensities, induced at the material topmost layer by the cubic shaped-design, especially close to edges. Such an inequal charge distribution, differently affects the stability of the reaction intermediates according to their polarizability. Besides offering for the very first-time theoretical insights to understand the surface geometry effect on reactivity, this work is expected to have practical implications for experimentalists in the rational design of efficient solid catalysts in many areas of the chemical industry.
Y. Wang, C. Dong, M. Shamzhy, M. Marinova, Z. Guo, Y. G. Kolyagin, J. Zaffran, A. Khodakov, and V. V. Ordomsky, ACS Catalysis, (2025), 15, 3116-3125.
The conversion of methane to valuable products is one of the main challenges of modern chemistry. Acetic acid (AcOH) is a key chemical reagent in industry, produced nowadays by the carbonylation of methanol over homogeneous Rh and Ir catalysts. Here, we propose a stepwise chemical looping approach for the highly selective stoichiometric synthesis of AcOH by carbonylation of methane with CO using single-site Pt over isolated phosphotungstic anions on a titania support (Pt-HPW-TiO2). The reaction proceeds by methane activation, which coincides with the reduction of initially oxidized Pt species in the presence of CO at 423 K and results in surface acetates attached to TiO2. Subsequent hydrolysis by water at ambient temperature results in the synthesis of AcOH in a stoichiometric amount corresponding to 1.5 Pt. Spent Pt-HPW-TiO2 is restored to the initial state by subsequent calcination in air. This approach provides an opportunity for the selective synthesis of AcOH (>99% in liquid phase) from methane, carbon monoxide, and air. A high concentration of AcOH (1.1 wt %) in an aqueous solution can be obtained at a high conversion of methane (4.5%).
Maximilian Koy, Maximilian Fellert, Chuting Deng, Michiel T. Uiterweerd, Alicia Lessentier, Minyan Wu, Mickael Cregut, Jianxia Zheng, Stephane Streiff, Juan J. de Pablo, Ben L. Feringa, Chem. Eur. J. (2025), 31, 17, e202500077.
A borrowing hydrogen approach to produce bio-based surfactants is described. The process utilizes ubiquitous amino acids and common alcohols without protecting group manipulations. Surfactants are synthesized in a single step using a commercially available ruthenium-based catalyst in a waste-free manner with nearly ideal atom economy. The versatility of the products is shown by further derivatization resulting in novel Gemini surfactants and a related quaternary ammonia salt. The analysis of selected compounds shows remarkable properties as surfactants. Further studies show their potential biodegradability in nature, which enhances the broad application profile of the sustainable products prepared in this study.