Sustainable synthesis of α-ketoglutaric and methanetriacetic acids from biomass feedstocks

Abstract α-Ketoglutaric acid (KGA) and methanetriacetic acid (MTA) are important multi-functional carboxylic acids with versatile applications. However, their synthetic processes are still not green and efficient. Herein, we report a novel one-pot approach for sustainable synthesis of KGA and MTA fr...

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Main Authors: Cheng-Bin Hong, Wangde Hua, Lieke Liu, Haichao Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-02-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56536-z
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author Cheng-Bin Hong
Wangde Hua
Lieke Liu
Haichao Liu
author_facet Cheng-Bin Hong
Wangde Hua
Lieke Liu
Haichao Liu
author_sort Cheng-Bin Hong
collection DOAJ
description Abstract α-Ketoglutaric acid (KGA) and methanetriacetic acid (MTA) are important multi-functional carboxylic acids with versatile applications. However, their synthetic processes are still not green and efficient. Herein, we report a novel one-pot approach for sustainable synthesis of KGA and MTA from biomass-derived pyruvic and glyoxylic acids under mild conditions. KGA is synthesized via cross-aldol condensation of pyruvic and glyoxylic acids to 2-hydroxy-4-oxopentanedioic acid, followed by its sequential dehydration and hydrogenation on Pd/TiO2, affording a high yield of 85.4% on a molar basis of glyoxylic acid at 110 °C and 1.0 MPa H2. The synthesis of MTA involves cross-aldol condensation of KGA and glyoxylic acid to 3-(carboxymethyl)-2-hydroxy-4-oxopentanedioic acid and its subsequent hydrodeoxygenation on Pd/TiO2 and MoOx/TiO2 in a high yield of 86.2% at 200 °C and 2.0 MPa H2. This novel approach provides a rationale for the sustainable production of various multi-functional carboxylic acids that are still not easily available.
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issn 2041-1723
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spelling doaj-art-3af587b14f45481fa609e88cc9de403e2025-02-02T12:32:04ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-02-011611810.1038/s41467-025-56536-zSustainable synthesis of α-ketoglutaric and methanetriacetic acids from biomass feedstocksCheng-Bin Hong0Wangde Hua1Lieke Liu2Haichao Liu3Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking UniversityBeijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking UniversityBeijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking UniversityBeijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking UniversityAbstract α-Ketoglutaric acid (KGA) and methanetriacetic acid (MTA) are important multi-functional carboxylic acids with versatile applications. However, their synthetic processes are still not green and efficient. Herein, we report a novel one-pot approach for sustainable synthesis of KGA and MTA from biomass-derived pyruvic and glyoxylic acids under mild conditions. KGA is synthesized via cross-aldol condensation of pyruvic and glyoxylic acids to 2-hydroxy-4-oxopentanedioic acid, followed by its sequential dehydration and hydrogenation on Pd/TiO2, affording a high yield of 85.4% on a molar basis of glyoxylic acid at 110 °C and 1.0 MPa H2. The synthesis of MTA involves cross-aldol condensation of KGA and glyoxylic acid to 3-(carboxymethyl)-2-hydroxy-4-oxopentanedioic acid and its subsequent hydrodeoxygenation on Pd/TiO2 and MoOx/TiO2 in a high yield of 86.2% at 200 °C and 2.0 MPa H2. This novel approach provides a rationale for the sustainable production of various multi-functional carboxylic acids that are still not easily available.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56536-z
spellingShingle Cheng-Bin Hong
Wangde Hua
Lieke Liu
Haichao Liu
Sustainable synthesis of α-ketoglutaric and methanetriacetic acids from biomass feedstocks
Nature Communications
title Sustainable synthesis of α-ketoglutaric and methanetriacetic acids from biomass feedstocks
title_full Sustainable synthesis of α-ketoglutaric and methanetriacetic acids from biomass feedstocks
title_fullStr Sustainable synthesis of α-ketoglutaric and methanetriacetic acids from biomass feedstocks
title_full_unstemmed Sustainable synthesis of α-ketoglutaric and methanetriacetic acids from biomass feedstocks
title_short Sustainable synthesis of α-ketoglutaric and methanetriacetic acids from biomass feedstocks
title_sort sustainable synthesis of α ketoglutaric and methanetriacetic acids from biomass feedstocks
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56536-z
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AT wangdehua sustainablesynthesisofaketoglutaricandmethanetriaceticacidsfrombiomassfeedstocks
AT liekeliu sustainablesynthesisofaketoglutaricandmethanetriaceticacidsfrombiomassfeedstocks
AT haichaoliu sustainablesynthesisofaketoglutaricandmethanetriaceticacidsfrombiomassfeedstocks