Metal-free electrochemical fluorodecarboxylation of aryloxyacetic acids to fluoromethyl aryl ethers

Electrochemical decarboxylation of aryloxyacetic acids followed by fluorination provides easy access to fluoromethyl aryl ethers. This electrochemical fluorodecarboxylation offers a sustainable approach with electric current as traceless oxidant. Using Et3N·5HF as fluoride source and as supporting electrolyte, this simple electrosynthesis affords various fluoromethoxyarenes in yields up to 85%.

Sustainable access to biobased biphenol epoxy resins by electrochemical dehydrogenative dimerization of eugenol

Limited fossil resources require innovative monomers and polymers derived from renewable feedstocks such as plant biomass. Thermosetting epoxy resins largely rely on petrochemical bisphenol-type monomers, which give high performance materials but are controversial due to their effects on human health. Herein, we present two biobased epoxy resins by direct dehydrogenative dimerization of eugenol, the main component of clove oil. Taking the Principles of Green Chemistry into account, we developed electrochemical dehydrodimerization at reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) electrodes using methanol as environmentally benign solvent. Thus, fluorinated solvents such as 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropa…

Biobased Epoxy Resin by Electrochemical Modification of Tall Oil Fatty Acids

A biobased epoxy resin was prepared from tall oil fatty acids (TOFAs), a byproduct of the pulping industry. As free carboxylic acids compromise resin stability, TOFA was subjected to non-Kolbe decarboxylation to give alkenes upon loss of CO2. Thereby, the degree of unsaturation is significantly increased. This electrosynthetic protocol using an undivided cell setup and inexpensive graphite electrodes in a galvanostatic operation mode was scaled to a 1.5 L reactor, making use of electric current as a green and waste-free reagent. Simple, cost-efficient epoxidation using oxone subsequently gives an epoxy resin of low viscosity. Curing with anhydrides yields thermoset materials. Dynamic mechan…

Electrochemical Synthesis of Aryl Methoxymethyl Ethers

Active Site Mapping of Xylan-Deconstructing Enzymes with Arabinoxylan Oligosaccharides Produced by Automated Glycan Assembly

Xylan-degrading enzymes are crucial for the deconstruction of hemicellulosic biomass, making the hydrolysis products available for various industrial applications such as the production of biofuel. To determine the substrate specificities of these enzymes, we prepared a collection of complex xylan oligosaccharides by automated glycan assembly. Seven differentially protected building blocks provided the basis for the modular assembly of 2-substituted, 3-substituted, and 2-/3-substituted arabino- and glucuronoxylan oligosaccharides. Elongation of the xylan backbone relied on iterative additions of C4-fluorenylmethoxylcarbonyl (Fmoc) protected xylose building blocks to a linker-functionalized …