Synthetic Methodology

Producing phenol from waste nitrous oxide. The adipic acid manufacturing process produces large amounts of nitrous oxide gas as waste. Nitrous oxide gas has high global warming potential and contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer. This process takes waste nitrous oxide gas and reuses it as a reagent in hydroxylating benzene to phenol. This reduces nitrous oxide gas waste and reduces the raw materials involved in phenol production. 

Olefin metathesis catalyst that converts renewable, natural oils into various products. Natural oil metathesis is a technology that transforms plant oils into high-performing, environmentally friendly specialty chemicals. This process uses a highly efficient, selective metathesis catalyst to derive value-added speacilty chemicals and olefins from natural oils. Compared to petrochemicals, this process reduces source pollution, energy consumption, production costs, and capital expenditures. The manufacturing process is low-pressure and low-temperature and can utilize virtually ant plant oil.

Economic production of 100% renewable chemicals and second-generation advanced biofuels from any cellulosic waste stream. This company converts lignocellulose to levulinic acid. The cellulosic waste feedstock consists of woody biomass, municipal solid waste, cellulosic crops, and recycled paper and cardboard. Levulinic acid is versatile and has the potential for downstream derivative production, such as biofuels and renewable chemicals.

Manufacturing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) reagents. PCR is used in research, genetic engineering, forensics, infectious disease identification, food safety, and personalized medicine. The conventional production of key chemicals for PCR tests (such as deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates, or dNTP) is hazardous, inefficient, and not atom economic. This new method for the manufacturing of dNTP consists of only three steps in a single pot, eliminating hazardous reagents and solvents such as zinc chloride, triphenyl phosphine, aldrithiol, dimethyl formamide, and dichloromethane.

Higher quality quantum dots for LED screens that use much less toxic feedstock. This technology replaces the traditional centrifugation method with filtration and uses less toxic solvents. Conventional methods of producing LED screens make substantial use of toxic solvents and are inefficient. This new technology could potentially reduce the use of toxic solvents by 150,000 liters per year in the United States. This technology is also more efficient, reducing energy usage. 

Biocatalytic process for the synthesis of esters. Esters are important ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products. Traditional esters manufacturing requires strong acids and potentially hazardous solvents and produces undesirable byproducts that require energy-intensive purification. Using immobilized enzymes at mild temperatures as an alternative, Eastmen saves energy and avoids dangerous chemicals. This process produces no undesirable by-products, and the enzymes are easily removable via filtration.

Naturally derived surfactant from the fruit of the Indian Soapnut Tree. Nisarg™ Soapnut Extract is naturally extracted from saponins from the Indian Soapnut tree. Soapnut is a commonly used surfactant in Asia and Native America due to its water-soluble and fat-soluble components. Soapnut is a milder surfactant than traditional sulfonated synthetic surfactants because its pH is more balanced with the skin's natural pH, resulting in less irritation and dryness. Soapnut can be used in shampoos, shower foams, facewash, toothpaste, hair colorants, and other personal care products.

Upcycled carbon black from end-of-life tires. Over 1.5 billion end-of-life tires enter the global waste stream annually. This process upcycles end-of-life tires to produce carbon black and tire pyrolytic oil and gas, reducing oil use and carbon dioxide emissions. These carbon blacks are a sustainable, one-to-one replacement for ASTM furnace carbon blacks. The process consists of 5 stages: steel removal, carbonization, de-agglomeration, pelletizing, and drying.