Issue: Vol. 40

Fine chemicals are pure molecules, used as synthesis intermediates, that are exploited in multiple industrial sectors (e.g., electronics and pharmaceutics). Because of their huge importance in manufacturing, the predominant objective in industry is to ensure that fine chemical production processes are 1) robust, 2) cost effective and 3) sustainable.

The first section of “Fine chemicals & intermediates: insights” considers the different technologies that are based on the use of carbon dioxide (CO2) as C source for the synthesis of fine chemicals. Infact, one way to mitigate the drammatic increase of CO2 emission, and therefore global warming, is to exploit CO2 in catalytic processes for the production of: alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, amines, acid chlorides, alcohols, allyl boronates, alkenyl triflates. The following abstracts include the most recent optimisations in the field, from the thermocatalytic CO2 hydrogenation to methanol via heterogeneous catalysis to the photocarboxylation of substrates with CO2 to build novel C-C bonds.

Finally, the second section of “Fine chemicals & intermediates: insights” highlights the importance of biotechnology in the bio-synthesis of fine chemicals. The utilization of isolated enzymes or whole-cell biocatalysts are pivotal for a more effective and greener production of chiral building blocks. Recent advances in the bio-derivatization of amino acids for the production, for instance, of α-keto acids, amines and alcohols are also presented.