The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Potassium glucarboxylate derived from renewable glucose was investigated as a bio-based intermediate for the sustainable production of adipic acid, a key monomer for polyamide 66 (PA66). The study aims to establish an efficient catalytic route that converts carbohydrate-based feedstocks into value-added diacids suitable for engineering polymer applications. Bio-based adipic acid was synthesized via a one-pot process combining deoxydehydration (DODH) and subsequent hydrogenation using a Pd–ReOx/AC catalyst in an alcohol solvent at reaction temperatures of 110–150 °C under hydrogen pressures ranging from 2 to 30 bar. During the reaction, hydroxyl groups on the glucarboxylic acid side chain were selectively removed through the DODH step to form an unsaturated intermediate, which was then hydrogenated to yield an adipic acid ester. The reaction conditions were systematically optimized to enable efficient sequential conversion within a single reactor without intermediate isolation. After completion of the catalytic reaction, the mixture was concentrated and hydrolyzed to obtain adipic acid. The yield and chemical purity of the resulting product were confirmed by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, and GC/LC-MS analyses, verifying successful transformation from potassium glucarboxylate to adipic acid. The bio-based adipic acid produced through this route represents a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum-derived adipic acid and demonstrates strong potential as a renewable monomer for the development of partially or fully bio-based PA66 materials.