Catalytic Methods for Producing Fine and Bulk Chemicals and Biomaterials from Biomass

Editorial: Prevention is better than a cure, and adopting green technologies can prevent many health complications. Following a paradigm shift in the raw inventories of the chemical industry (including the pharmaceutical, refinery, and manufacturing industries), catalysis chemists have begun a race to explore the feasibility of extending the use of the conventional and classical industrial catalysts (e.g., zeolites, modified alumina, polyoxometalates, noble- and non-noble-metal-based supported catalysts, and sulfuric, nitric, and hydrochloric acid) used to convert bio-based resources into biofuels, biochemicals, and biomass. Breakthroughs as vital as the two Nobel prize-winning epochal achievements of Haber Bosch, who activated elemental nitrogen and hydrogen on the surface of iron to induce ammonia synthesis, and Gerhard Ertl, who elucidated the reaction mechanism of the ammonia synthesis process, are anticipated in the realm of the catalytic conversion of biomass into fine and bulk chemicals and biomaterials like artificial rice, biodegradable plastics, and metal substitutes for the construction industry. The opportunities are as abundant as the challenges in this field, hence initiation of this Special Issue on “Catalytic Methods for Producing Fine and Bulk Chemicals and Biomaterials from biomass”. Since the launch of this Special Issue on 22 March 2022, this research topic has been attracting the attention of pioneering researchers worldwide—namely, the Israeli group headed by Professor Aharon Gedanken (AG), the Chinese group headed by Professor Yunlei Zhang, another renowned group from China headed by Professor Qiaoyun Liu and Professor Zhong Yi Liu, the Spanish group headed by Professor Irene Martinez-Salazar, the Japanese group headed by Professor Haruo Kawamoto, the Pakistani group headed by Professor Farrukh Jamil and Professor Murid Hussain, the Omani group headed by Professor Ala’a H Al-Muhtaseb, the Emirati group headed by Abrar Inayat, the Italian group headed by Cleofe Palocci and Professor Laura Chronopoulou, the Chinese group headed by Hongyun Hu, another Chinese group headed by Jifei Xu, and the Indonesian–American–Taiwanese group headed by Professor Venkatachalam—who have contributed ten state-of-the-art research articles or reviews that form the various chapters of this Special Issue. The salient features of this issue are exemplified by the keywords in the title: catalysis, fine chemicals, bulk chemicals, and biomaterials. With the growing population and demand for comfortable and healthy lifestyles, the rapid production of fine and bulk chemicals and biomaterials through catalysis is highly sought-after. Catalysis is a science that deals with substances that accelerate the rate of a reaction by themselves, remaining unchanged by the end of the reaction, and that can be recycled and reused. The science of catalysis is extensively used in the fine chemical, bulk chemical, and materials industries. Conventionally, fine chemicals are produced in small quantities (<1000 tons per year) and expensive (>10 USD per kg). Typical examples of fine chemicals include life-taxing neuroactive and psychoactive drugs like opioids, morphine, codeine, thebaine, cocaine, heroin, amphetamines, and others. Typical examples of bulk chemicals include refinery products like petrol and diesel. This Special Issue only addresses the production of bulk chemicals, namely, levulinic acid; 2,5-furan dicarboxilic acid; pentanediol, dimethyl adipate; and renewable fuels like hydrogen and biodiesel. These biobased bulk chemicals are produced using conventional catalytic reactions like hydrolysis, dehydration, hydration, isomerization, hydrogenolysis, carboxy methylation, retro-Dieckman condensation, oxidation, reduction, transesterification, controlled gasification, and many more. State-of-the-art catalysts like polyoxometalates (also called heteropoly acids), Au-Pd bimetallic catalysts supported on nitrated carbon, Pt/MgO, CaO, lipases supported on iron oxide, and others were introduced as catalysts to bring about the catalytic conversion of biomass into bulk chemicals.

We are grateful to all of the research groups from each corner of the world for contributing their findings that constitute the ten chapters of this Special Issue. Special thanks are due to the untiring efforts of Ms. Cathy Yang, the managing editor of the MDPI journal Catalysts, for her bravery in approving the launch of the Special Issue that resulted in the publication of this reprint. Her consistent efforts in preparing the contact list of experts in the field resulted in the successful completion of this Special Issue. We are deeply indebted to Professor B Viswanathan (BV), NCCR, IIT Madras, for introducing Dr. Neel to the wonderful world of catalysis back when he was a research scholar under the supervision of Professor T K Varadarajan (TKV). More so than the science of catalysis, the dedication, hard work, and selflessly helpful attitude of Professor BV have always motivated Dr. Neel to advance his scientific research against unfavorable conditions and many difficult situations and persevere to acquire his rightful position in the academic circles. We are also grateful to Professor TKV for disseminating smart ways of attaining success. Coincidentally, it was Professor TKV who offered, for the first time, the CSIR-funded project on the development of heteropoly acid catalysis for the production of fine and bulk chemicals at IIT Madras on 3 July 2002—and the rest is history. Thanks are also due to Rev. Pastor Ernest Selvadurai and Pastoress Nilofer, Rev. Pastor Richard Ambrose Jebakumar and Pastoress Ms. Lily Ambrose, Mr. Usha Priyan (uncle), Ms. Harriot Usha Priyan (aunt), Ebinezer (brother), and the saints in the House of Prayer Adyar for their loving fellowship, prayers, and Holy communion, which have been the source of strength allowing Dr. Neel to complete this endeavor successfully. Special thanks are due to Miss Tabitha Victor Pulidindi, Dr. Neel’s only daughter, for her selfless love.

We hope that the current edition of this Special Issue on “Catalytic Methods for Producing Fine and Bulk Chemicals and Biomaterials from Biomass” will help the scientific community to advance towards the goal of a breakthrough in the field, leading to sustainability for the alleviation of human suffering.

This reprint of the special issue is dedicated to the savior and the LORD Jesus Christ.