2225-04-9Relevant academic research and scientific papers
Synthesis and characterization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) precursors and potential degradation products: Toxicity study and application in discovery of novel PETases
Djapovic, Milica,Milivojevic, Dusan,Ilic-Tomic, Tatjana,Lje?evi?, Marija,Nikolaivits, Efstratios,Topakas, Evangelos,Maslak, Veselin,Nikodinovic-Runic, Jasmina
supporting information, (2021/03/01)
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is widely used material and as such became highly enriched in nature. It is generally considered inert and safe plastic, but due to the recent increased efforts to break-down PET using biotechnological approaches, we realized the scarcity of information about structural analysis of possible degradation products and their ecotoxicological assessment. Therefore, in this study, 11 compounds belonging to the group of PET precursors and possible degradation products have been comprehensively characterized. Seven of these compounds including 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4-methylterephthalate, ethylene glycol bis(methyl terephthalate), methyl bis(2-hydroxyethyl terephtahalate), 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, 1,4-bis[2-[[4-(methoxycarbonyl)benzoyl]oxy]ethyl] ester and methyl tris(2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate) corresponding to mono-, 1.5-, di-, 2,5- and trimer of PET were synthetized and structurally characterized for the first time. In-silico druglikeness and physico-chemical properties of these compounds were predicted using variety of platforms. No antimicrobial properties were detected even at 1000 μg/mL. Ecotoxicological impact of the compounds against marine bacteria Allivibrio fischeri proved that the 6 out of 11 tested PET-associated compounds may be classified as harmful to aquatic microorganisms, with PET trimer being one of the most toxic. In comparison, most of the compounds were not toxic on human lung fibroblasts (MRC-5) at 200 μg/mL with inhibiting concentration (IC50) values of 30 μg/mL and 50 μg/mL determined for PET dimer and trimer. Only three of these compounds including PET monomer were toxic to nematode Caenorhabditis elegans at high concentration of 500 μg/mL. In terms of the applicative potential, PET dimer can be used as suitable substrate for the screening, identification and characterization of novel PET-depolymerizing enzymes.
On the Functional Group Tolerance of Ester Hydrogenation and Polyester Depolymerisation Catalysed by Ruthenium Complexes of Tridentate Aminophosphine Ligands
Fuentes, José A.,Smith, Samuel M.,Scharbert, M. Theresa,Carpenter, Ian,Cordes, David B.,Slawin, Alexandra M. Z.,Clarke, Matthew L.
supporting information, p. 10851 - 10869 (2015/07/20)
The synthesis of a range of phosphine-diamine, phosphine-amino-alcohol, and phosphine-amino-amide ligands and their ruthenium(II) complexes are reported. Five of these were characterised by X-ray crystallography. The activities of this collection of catalysts were initially compared for the hydrogenation of two model ester hydrogenations. Catalyst turnover frequencies up to 2400 h-1 were observed at 85 °C. However, turnover is slow at near ambient temperatures. By using a phosphine-diamine RuII complex, identified as the most active catalyst, a range of aromatic esters were reduced in high yield. The hydrogenation of alkene-, diene-, and alkyne-functionalised esters was also studied. Substrates with a remote, but reactive terminal alkene substituent could be reduced chemoselectively in the presence of 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) co-catalyst. The chemoselective reduction of the ester function in conjugated dienoate ethyl sorbate could deliver (2E,4E)-hexa-2,4-dien-1-ol, a precursor to leaf alcohol. The monounsaturated alcohol (E)-hex-4-en-1-ol was produced with reasonable selectivity, but complete chemoselectivity of C=O over the diene is elusive. High chemoselectivity for the reduction of an ester over an alkyne group was observed in the hydrogenation of an alkynoate for the first time. The catalysts were also active in the depolymerisation reduction of samples of waste poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) to produce benzene dimethanol. These depolymerisations were found to be poisoned by the ethylene glycol side product, although good yields could still be achieved. A simple catalyst for difficult reductions: Ruthenium complexes of P,N,N and P,N,O ligands catalyse the reduction of esters with high activities. The Ru complex of a phosphine-diamine ligand (see scheme) has been found to be a good catalyst for reducing alkene-, diene-, and alkyne-functionalised esters, displaying good activity and chemoselectivity. This catalyst was also active in the hydrogenation of waste poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET).
