OUTLOOK ON CATALYTIC TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: THE ARGENTINA CASE

C.R. APESTEGUÍA

Renewable resources and renewable energy: A global challenge

CRC Press

Año: 2006; p. 1 - 34

Argentina is a developing country requiring the sustainable economy growth based in industrial development for improving the population income.  But industrial development may not be conceived without sustainable chemistry, and protection of the environment and the quality of life.  Advanced research in catalysis is needed for developing novel clean technologies into chemical design and achieving these economic and environmental goals.  In this work, three examples of innovative catalytic processes developed by the Argentinean academic community in the field of renewable resources, clean technologies, and sustainable chemistry are presented.   Two examples deal with the use of solid catalysts for the synthesis of fine chemicals.  Traditionally, fine and speciality chemicals have been produced predominantly by non-catalytic or homogeneously catalyzed synthesis. But these processes have been characterized by the co-production of large amounts of unwanted products, the use of toxic or corrosive reagents and solvents, and harmful liquid catalysts.  In particular, the use of strong liquid acids (HF, H2SO4, HCl) and Friedel-Crafts (AlCl3, TiCl4, FeCl3) catalysts in homogeneous commercial processes poses problems of high toxicity, corrosion, and spent acid disposal.  New industrial strategies for fine chemical synthesis demand the use of renewable raw materials and the replacement of liquid acids or bases by solid catalysts.  Precisely, the first example describes the use of acid zeolites for replacing AlCl3 Friedel-Crafts catalyst in the gas-phase synthesis of aromatic ketones from acylation of phenol.  The second example reports for the first time the development of bifunctional solid catalysts for producing menthols from citral, a renewable raw material, in a one-step process.  Finally, the third example illustrates the employ of catalytic technologies for promoting a larger use of renewable low-value raw materials for production of environmentally acceptable gasoline.  Specifically, it is explored the use of a two-step catalytic process for efficiently obtaining biodiesel from non-edible acid materials such as frying oil, greases, tallow and lard.