Towards sustainable production of polybutylene adipate terephthalate: Non-biological catalytic syntheses of biomass-derived constituents

Renewable chemicals, which are made from renewable resources such as biomass, have attracted significant interest as substitutes for natural gas- or petroleum-derived chemicals to enhance the sustainability of the chemical and petrochemical industries. Polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), which is a copolyester of 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BDO), adipic acid (AA), and dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) or terephthalic acid (TPA), has garnered significant interest as a biodegradable polymer. This study assesses the non-biological production of PBAT monomers from biomass feedstocks via heterogeneous catalytic reactions. The biomass-based catalytic routes to each monomer are analyzed and compared to conventional routes. Although no fully commercialized catalytic processes for direct conversion of biomass into 1,4-BDO, AA, DMT, and TPA are available, emerging and promising catalytic routes have been proposed. The proposed biomass-based catalytic pathways toward 1,4-BDO, AA, DMT, and TPA are not yet fully competitive with conventional fossil fuel-based pathways mainly due to high feedstock prices and the existence of other alternatives. However, given continuous technological advances in the renewable production of PBAT monomers, bio-based PBAT should be economically viable in the near future. Copyright © 2024 The Authors.