Catalytic upgrading of citric acid from fermentation processes KU Leuven
The general aim is to prepare new polyfunctional ester compounds starting from citric acid, directly sourced from the fermentation process. Conversion of citric acid comprises defunctionalisation, e.g. removal of –OH groups, followed by hydrogenation and possibly esterification. An ideal reaction would lead to high yields based on citric acid, would use high concentrations of citric acid, and would be able to deal with raw citric acid, i.e. ...