Abstract:
This invention relates to a process for the production of primary and/or secondary amines from oxo compounds by catalytic imination of the oxo compound with ammonia or a primary amine and subsequent hydrogenation. Imination proceeds according to the invention in the presence of a novel imination catalyst, namely an organopolysiloxane containing sulphonate groups. This imination catalyst is distinguished by elevated activity. The process is in particular suitable for the production of isophorone diamine from isophorone nitrile, wherein it has proved possible to reduce the content of secondary products and to increase yield.
Abstract:
1,3-propanediol (PD) is obtained by hydration of acrolein to 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde (HPA) with subsequent catalytic hydrogenation; 3,3'-oxybis-1-propanol (OD) occurs as a yield-reducing by-product. Disclosed is a process which increases the 1,3-propanediol yield. The OD which is separated by distillation during treatment of the reaction mixture containing PD and OD is treated in aqueous solution at from 100 to 300.degree. C. with an acid solid catalyst, in particular an acid zeolite, and the reaction mixture from which the solid catalyst has been removed is returned into the treatment stage of the reaction mixture containing PD and OD.
Abstract:
A process is disclosed for the preparation of 3-hydroxyalkanals having 3 to 12 carbon atoms, in particular 3 or 4 carbon atoms, by hydration of the underlying 2-alkenals with water in a homogeneous phase in the presence of an acid catalyst. The previously known hydration using mineral acids or carboxylic acids as catalyst results in low volume/time yields and/or low selectivities. These disadvantages can be avoided by using in the present invention, as catalyst, a dissolved acid-base buffer which results in a pH of from 2 to 5 in the reaction mixture; the acid component and corresponding base of which are present in a total quantity of from 0.5 to 40% by weight in the reaction mixture. The preferred buffers composed of a lower monobasic carboxylic acid and a tertiary amine can easily be recycled.
Abstract:
The present application relates to a process for removing an organic compound having one or more positive charges from an aqueous solution, comprising the steps a) provision of the aqueous solution comprising the organic compound and of a hydrophobic organic solution which comprises a liquid cation exchanger, where the liquid cation exchanger is hydrophobic, and where the liquid cation exchanger has one or more negative charges and an overall negative charge, b) contacting the aqueous solution and the organic solution, and c) separating off the organic solution from the aqueous solution.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a microbial cell capable of producing at least one terminal alkene from at least one short chain fatty acid, wherein the cell is genetically modified to comprise at least a first genetic mutation that increases the expression relative to the wild type cell of an enzyme (E1) selected from the CYP152 peroxygenase family, and at least a second genetic mutation that increases the expression relative to the wild type cell of at least one NAD(P)+ oxidoreductase (E2) and the corresponding mediator protein, wherein the short chain fatty acid is a C4-C10 fatty acid.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for removing an organic compound having one or more positive charges from an aqueous solution. Said method consists of the following steps a) the aqueous solution containing the organic compound, and a hydrophobic organic solution which contains a hydrophobic liquid cation exchanger having one or more negative charges and a negative total charge, are provided, b) the aqueous solution and the organic solution are brought into contact with each other and c) the organic solution is separated from the aqueous solution.
Abstract:
A process for the improved separation of a hydrophobic organic solution from an aqueous culture medium is provided. The process includes preparing an aqueous culture medium of a metabolically active cell having a decreased activity; contacting of the aqueous culture medium with a hydrophobic organic solution comprising a substrate for biotransformation; conducting a biotransformation of the substrate; and separating the hydrophobic organic solution comprising a biotransformed substrate from the aqueous culture medium. The decreased activity of the metabolically active cell is in comparison to a wild-type of the active cell and the decreased activity is of at least of one enzyme that catalyzes one reaction of β-oxidation of fatty acids. The invention further provides a metabolically active cell that has a decreased activity, compared to its wild-type, of an enzyme that catalyzes one of the reactions of the β-oxidation of fatty acids, including an enzyme selected from FadA, FadB, FadD, FadL and FadE as well as variants thereof.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a process for preparing an α,ω-alkanediol comprising the steps of a) reacting an alkanoic acid with an alkanol to give an ester, b) oxidizing at least one terminal carbon atom of the ester by contacting with a whole-cell catalyst, which expresses an alkane hydroxylase, in aqueous solution and in the presence of molecular oxygen, to give an oxidized ester, c) hydrogenating the oxidized ester to form the alkanediol and alkanol, and d) removing the alkanol by distillation, forming a reaction mixture depleted with respect to the alkanol, and recycling the alkanol in step b).
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a knallgas bacterium or acetogenic bacterium expressing a 2-hydroxyisobutyryl-coenzyme A mutase, a method for the production of 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid, comprising contacting in an aqueous medium the knallgas bacterium or acetogenic with a gas mixture comprising hydrogen and carbon dioxide and the use of the knallgas bacterium or acetogenic bacterium for the production of 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for oxidizing an alkane, comprising contacting the alkane with a type alkB oxidoreductase and using a type alkB oxidoreductase to prepare a mixture of oxidation products of an alkane, wherein the ratio of carboxylic acid to alcohol in the oxidation products is preferably greater than 1:1.