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Muconic acid, a crucial precursor in synthesizing materials like PET bottles and nylon, is pivotal for the anticipated growth in the textiles and plastics industries. This study presents a novel chemical synthesis route for cis,cis-muconic acid (ccMA) using catechol. Biochemical methods face scale-up challenges due to microorganism sensitivity and complex extraction processes, while chemical methods involve environmentally harmful substances and have low yields. Our research introduces a method that enhances ccMA yield to 56% by employing ozonation in the presence of an alkali, significantly simplifying the synthesis process. This one-step synthesis reduces reagent use and labor, aligns with green chemistry principles, and avoids using toxic chemicals. The methodology, involving the low-temperature ozonation of catechol with base addition, reduces ccMA degradation and improves yield, as confirmed by an HPLC analysis and replicated experiments. This promising approach could lead to sustainable industrial synthesis of muconic acid derivatives. Further investigations will focus on refining this method for larger-scale applications and testing its economic viability, aiming to optimize conditions for maximum efficiency and yield.
Katayama et al. (Mon,) studied this question.