1. A method for converting lignocellulosic biomass material to a carboxylic acid comprising the step of contacting the lignocellulosic biomass material with a microbial culture for a period of time at an initial temperature and an initial pH, thereby producing an amount of a carboxylic acid; wherein the microbial culture comprises an extremely thermophilic bacteria strain of the genus Caldicellulosiruptor, wherein the strain is selected from the group consisting of Caldicellulosiruptor sp. DIB041C, deposited as DSM 25771, Caldicellulosiruptor sp. DIB087C, deposited as DSM 25772, Caldicellulosiruptor sp. DIB103C, deposited as DSM 25773, Caldicellulosiruptor sp. DIB104C, deposited as DSM 25774, Caldicellulosiruptor sp. DIB107C, deposited as DSM 25775, Caldicellulosiruptor sp. DIB101C, deposited as DSM 25178 and Caldicellulosiruptor sp. DIB004C, deposited as DSM 25177, and wherein the lignocellulosic biomass material is converted in a single step process as part of a consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) system.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the period of time is 10 hours to 300 hours.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the period of time is 50 hours to 200 hours, 80 hours to 160 hours.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the initial temperature is in the range between 55\xb0 C. and 80\xb0 C., optionally between 72\xb0 C. and 78\xb0 C.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the initial pH is between 5 and 9, optionally between 6 and 8.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carboxylic acid is lactic acid andor acetic acid, salts or esters thereof.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic biomass material is selected from the group consisting of grass, switch grass, cord grass, rye grass, reed canary grass, mixed prairie grass, miscanthus, sugar-methoding residues, sugarcane bagasse, sugarcane straw, agricultural wastes, rice straw, rice hulls, barley straw, corn cobs, cereal straw, wheat straw, canola straw, oat straw, oat hulls, corn fiber, stover, soybean stover, corn stover, forestry wastes, recycled wood pulp fiber, paper sludge, sawdust, hardwood, and softwood, pressmud from sugar beet, cotton stalk, banana leaves, and lignocellulosic biomass material obtained through processing of food plants.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said lignocellulosic biomass material is selected from the group consisting of corn stover, sugarcane bagasse, cotton stalks, switchgrass and.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said lignocellulosic biomass material is a grass or perennial grass, optionally miscanthus.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said lignocellulosic biomass material is subjected to mechanical, thermochemical, andor biochemical pretreatment.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein pretreating the lignocellulosic biomass material comprises exposing the lignocellulosic biomass to steam treatment.
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein pretreating the lignocellulosic biomass material comprises mechanical commination and a subsequent treatment with sulfurous acid or its anhydride under heat and pressure with a sudden release of pressure.
13. The method according to claim 10, wherein pretreating the lignocellulosic biomass comprises milling the lignocellulosic biomass.
14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the lignocellulosic biomass material is pretreated in addition with enzymes, preferably cellulose and hemicellulose degrading enzymes.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
I claim:
1. A chiral ligand that forms a catalyst providing enhanced enantiomeric selectivity in asymmetric reactions, having a structure selected from the group consisting of the enantiomers of the following formulas (I) through (IV):
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wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 and R7 are independently hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, substituted alkyl or substituted aryl, wherein any two of R1, R2, R3 and R4 may be linked to each other to form a ring structure, wherein any two of R5, R6 or R7 may be linked to each other to form a ring structure, and wherein n is 1 or 2.
2. The chiral ligand of claim 1, wherein said ligand is complexed with a transition metal.
3. The chiral ligand of claim 2, wherein said transition metal is selected from the group consisting of rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, and palladium.
4. The chiral ligand of claim 1, wherein said ligand is complexed with a transition metal catalyst precursor selected from the group consisting of Rh(cod)CI2, Rh(cod)2X, Ir(cod)CI2, Ir(cod)2X, Ru(cod)C2, where cod is 1,5-cyclooctadiene, and X is BF4, ClO4, SbF6, or CF3SO3.
5. The chiral ligand of claim 1, wherein said ligand is complexed with a transition metal catalyst precursor selected from the group consisting of RuCI2(PPh3)3, RuHCI(PPh3)3, RuX2(PR3)3, RuHX(PR3)3, RuX2, wherein X is halogen and R is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or aryl group.
6. The chiral ligand of claim 1, wherein said ligand is selected from the group consisting of the following formulas (V) to (XI):
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7. A chiral ligand that forms a catalyst providing enhanced enantiomeric selectivity in asymmetric reactions, said chiral ligand comprising a bis(oxazolinyl) amine.
8. A chiral ligand according to claim 1, wherein said chiral ligand is bis4-(R)-phenyloxazolin-2-yl-methylamine.
9. A process for making a catalyst providing enhanced enantiomeric selectivity in asymmetric reactions comprising reducing an imidate ester with a chiral alcohol to obtain the chiral ligand of claim 1.
10. A process according to claim 9 further comprising complexing said chiral ligand with a catalyst precursor comprising a transition metal.
11. A process for making a catalyst according to claim 10, wherein said catalyst precursor further comprises triphenylphosphine, and wherein said process for making the catalyst includes removing free triphenylphosphine released during complexation of the chiral ligand with the catalyst precursor.
12. A process for making a catalyst according to claim 10, wherein said catalyst precursor and said chiral ligand are refluxed with an alcohol at the reflux temperature of the alcohol.
13. A process for making a catalyst according to claim 10, wherein said transition metal is selected from the group consisting of rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, and palladium.
14. A process for making a catalyst according to claim 10, wherein said catalyst precursor is selected from the group consisting of Rh(cod)CI2, Rh(cod)2X, Ir(cod)CI2, Ir(cod)2X, where cod is 1,5-cyclooctadiene, and X is BF4, ClO4, SbF6, or CF3SO3.
15. A process for making a catalyst according to claim 10, wherein said catalyst precursor is selected from the group consisting of RuCI2(PPh3)3, RuHCI(PPh3)3, RuX2(PR3)3, RuHX(PR3)3, RuX2, wherein X is halogen and R is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or aryl group.
16. A method for enhancing the enantiomeric selectivity of a chemical reaction comprising contacting a substrate with a catalyst comprising the chiral ligand of claim 1.
17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said reaction is selected from the group consisting of hydrogenation, hydride transfer reaction, hydrosilylation, hydroboration, hydrovinylation, hydroformylation, hydrocarboxylation, ailylic alkylation, cyclopropanation, Diels-Alder reaction, Aldol reaction, Heck reaction, Michael addition and rearrangement.
18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said reaction is a transfer hydrogenation and said substrate is a ketone or an imine.
19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the contacting of the substrate with the catalyst further comprises contacting said substrate and said catalyst with a base and wherein the molar ratio of said base to said catalyst is between 0.5 and 2.0.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said molar ratio is approximately 1.0.