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Citation: Xiang Liu, Shushuang Li, Yongmei Liu, Yong Cao. Formic acid: A versatile renewable reagent for green and sustainable chemical synthesis[J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, ;2015, 36(9): 1461-1475. doi: 10.1016/S1872-2067(15)60861-0 shu

Formic acid: A versatile renewable reagent for green and sustainable chemical synthesis

1.
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China

Corresponding author: Yong Cao,
Received Date: 2 March 2015
Available Online: 4 April 2015
Fund Project: 国家自然科学基金(21273044, 21473035) (21273044, 21473035) 博士点基金(20120071110011) (20120071110011) 上海市科学技术委员会资助项目(08DZ2270500, 12ZR1401500). (08DZ2270500, 12ZR1401500)

Formic acid is available as a major byproduct from biorefinery processing and this together with its unique properties, including non-toxicity, favorable energy density, and biodegradability, make it an economically appealing and safe reagent for energy storage and chemical synthesis. This review provides an overview of novel recent achievements in green catalytic transformations that use biogenic formic acid as an efficient and versatile reagent. The examples selected demonstrate the advantages of formic acid in addressing the key issues (minimizing the use and generation of hazardous substances while maximizing productivity under mild and benign reaction conditions) in clean chemical transformation. Special emphasis is put on the prospects of formic acid for delivering new catalytic technology to produce a plethora of tailor-made products via the flexible and selective conversion of renewable biomass resources. The potential of formic acid as a renewable C₁feedstock for both bulk and fine chemical syntheses is also outlined with examples. The role of multifunctionality in catalyst design as a key aspect in developing new catalytic concepts capable of promoting new transformations to give unprecedented selectivity and efficiency is also discussed. This article is expected to advance research on sustainable, green and affordable bio-based processes as alternatives to traditional ones with the goal to develop a fully sustainable chemical industry based on renewable resources.
- Formic acid,
- Innovative catalysis,
- Renewable hydrogen source,
- Benign feedstock,
- Chemical synthesis,
- Biomass valorization
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