Selective extraction of 1,3-propanediol by phenylboronic acid-based ternary extraction system

BACKGROUND Conventional methods for the separation of 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) are problematic in many ways. The study of a simple and efficient separation process was the key to solving the bottlenecks that have restricted the large-scale development of 1,3-PDO. In order to solve the difficulty of separating 1,3-PDO from fermentation broths, a ternary selective extraction system was constructed to separate 1,3-PDO from a simulated solution and fermentation broth. RESULTS In this study, quantum chemistry calculation and wave function analysis showed that the reaction between phenylboronic acid and 1,3-PDO is thermodynamically feasible, stable and covalently reversible. The ternary extraction system was composed of 1-naphthylboric acid, dichloromethane and Aliquat 336. After optimization of the extraction conditions, a high extraction efficiency of 82.6% could be achieved for 1,3-PDO. Meanwhile, the stripping recovery of 1,3-PDO was over 90%, with a high purity (98.6%), from a simulated solution using 0.4 mol L −1 hydrochloric acid as stripping solution. The extraction selectivity of 1,3-PDO to glycerol, acetic acid and butyric acid in the fermentation broth reached 12.9, 230.6 and 233.7, respectively, implying a high selective performance compared with the aldehyde-based traditional reactive extraction. CONCLUSION The ternary extraction system exhibited good extraction performance, highlighting the potential for selective extraction of diol biochemicals from fermentation broths. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).