Catalytic Upgrading of Acetaldehyde to Acetoin Using a Supported N-Heterocyclic Carbene Catalyst.

We report the catalytic synthesis of 3-hydroxy-2-butanon (acetoin) from acetaldehyde as a key step in the synthesis of C-molecules from ethanol. Facile C-C bond formation at the α-carbon of the C building block is achieved using an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyst. The immobilization of the catalyst on a Merrifield's peptide resin and its spectroscopic characterisation using solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is described herein.

Direct Conversion of Syngas to Higher Alcohols via Tandem Integration of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis and Reductive Hydroformylation.

The selective conversion of syngas to higher alcohols is an attractive albeit elusive route in the quest for effective production of chemicals from alternative carbon resources. We report the tandem integration of solid cobalt Fischer-Tropsch and molecular hydroformylation catalysts in a one-pot slurry-phase process. Unprecedented selectivities (>50 wt %) to C alcohols are achieved at CO conversion levels >70 %, alongside negligible CO side-production.