Cellulose recycling as a source of raw chirality

CORNE, V.; BOTTA, M. C.; GIORDANO, E.D.; GIRI, G. F.; LLOMPART, D.F.; BIAVA, H.D.; SAROTTI, A.M.; MANGIONE, M.I.; MATA, E.G.; SUÁREZ, A.G.; SPANEVELLO, R.A.

PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY

INT UNION PURE APPLIED CHEMISTRY

Año: 2013 vol. 85 p. 1683 - 1692

0033-4545

Modern organic chemistry requires easily obtainable chiral building blocks that show high chemical versatility for their application in the synthesis of enantiopure compounds. Biomass has been demonstrated to be a widely available raw material that represents the only abundant source of renewable organic carbon. Through the pyrolitic conversion of cellulose or cellulose-containing materials it is possible to produce levoglucosenone, a highly functionalized chiral structure. This compound has been innovatively used as a template for the synthesis of key intermediates of biologically active products and for the preparation of chiral auxiliaries, catalysts, and organocatalysts for their application in asymmetric synthesis.