The production of many chemicals starts with petroleum, but as worldwide oil supplies wane, scientists are looking for renewable building blocks. A Wisconsin team describes the efficient use of fructose toward making one starting material. The strategy could lead to sugar-based polyesters and other products.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has identified 12 high-value chemicals that can be made from sugars. On the list is furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), which the agency pegs as a possible replacement for terephthalic acid, a petrochemical found in polyesters.