Vol.:(0123456789)
Topics in Current Chemistry (2019) 377:1
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41061-018-0222-3
1 3
REVIEW
Sustaining the Transition from a Petrobased to a Biobased
Chemical Industry with Flow Chemistry
Romaric Gérardy
1
· Romain Morodo
1
· Julien Estager
2
· Patricia Luis
3
·
Damien P. Debecker
4
· Jean‑Christophe M. Monbaliu
1
Received: 31 August 2018 / Accepted: 27 October 2018 / Published online: 26 November 2018
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018
Abstract
In the current context of transitioning to more sustainable chemical processes, the
upgrading of biobased platform molecules (i.e., the chemical transformation of
widely available low molecular weight entities from biomass) is attracting signifi‑
cant attention, in particular when combined with enabling continuous flow condi‑
tions. The success of this combination is largely due to the ability to explore new
process conditions and the perspective of facilitating seamless scalability while
maintaining a small overall footprint. This review considers representative continu‑
ous flow processes which utilize a selection of currently popular platform molecules
that target industrially relevant building blocks, including (a) commodity chemicals,
(b) specialty and fine chemicals, and (c) fuels and fuel additives.
Keywords Flow chemistry · Continuous processes · Upgrading · Biobased
platforms · Intensification · Heterogeneous catalysis
* Jean‑Christophe M. Monbaliu
jc.monbaliu@uliege.be
1
Center for Integrated Technology and Organic Synthesis, Research Unit MolSys, University
of Liège, 4000 Liège (Sart Tilman), Belgium
2
Certech, Rue Jules Bordet, Zone Industrielle C, 7180 Seneffe, Belgium
3
Materials and Process Engineering (iMMC‑IMAP), Université Catholique de Louvain,
1348 Louvain‑la‑Neuve, Belgium
4
Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Université Catholique de Louvain,
1348 Louvain‑la‑Neuve, Belgium
111
Reprinted from the journal
Chapter 4 was originally published as Gérardy, R., Morodo, R., Estager, J., Luis, P., Debecker, D. P. &
Monbaliu, J-C. M. Topics in Current Chemistry (2019) 377: 1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41061-018-0222-3.
Topics in Current Chemistry (2019) 377:1
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41061-018-0222-3
1 3
REVIEW
Sustaining the Transition from a Petrobased to a Biobased
Chemical Industry with Flow Chemistry
Romaric Gérardy
1
· Romain Morodo
1
· Julien Estager
2
· Patricia Luis
3
·
Damien P. Debecker
4
· Jean‑Christophe M. Monbaliu
1
Received: 31 August 2018 / Accepted: 27 October 2018 / Published online: 26 November 2018
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018
Abstract
In the current context of transitioning to more sustainable chemical processes, the
upgrading of biobased platform molecules (i.e., the chemical transformation of
widely available low molecular weight entities from biomass) is attracting signifi‑
cant attention, in particular when combined with enabling continuous flow condi‑
tions. The success of this combination is largely due to the ability to explore new
process conditions and the perspective of facilitating seamless scalability while
maintaining a small overall footprint. This review considers representative continu‑
ous flow processes which utilize a selection of currently popular platform molecules
that target industrially relevant building blocks, including (a) commodity chemicals,
(b) specialty and fine chemicals, and (c) fuels and fuel additives.
Keywords Flow chemistry · Continuous processes · Upgrading · Biobased
platforms · Intensification · Heterogeneous catalysis
* Jean‑Christophe M. Monbaliu
jc.monbaliu@uliege.be
1
Center for Integrated Technology and Organic Synthesis, Research Unit MolSys, University
of Liège, 4000 Liège (Sart Tilman), Belgium
2
Certech, Rue Jules Bordet, Zone Industrielle C, 7180 Seneffe, Belgium
3
Materials and Process Engineering (iMMC‑IMAP), Université Catholique de Louvain,
1348 Louvain‑la‑Neuve, Belgium
4
Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Université Catholique de Louvain,
1348 Louvain‑la‑Neuve, Belgium
111
Reprinted from the journal
Chapter 4 was originally published as Gérardy, R., Morodo, R., Estager, J., Luis, P., Debecker, D. P. &
Monbaliu, J-C. M. Topics in Current Chemistry (2019) 377: 1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41061-018-0222-3.