Digitized Honors Theses (2002-2017)

Date of Award

5-2013

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Degree Name

BS

Department

Chemistry

Faculty Mentor

W Matthew Reichert

Abstract

Feedstock chemicals derived from petroleum are the raw materials for many industrial products, such as plastics. With the availability of fossil fuels decreasing, renewable feedstock chemicals must be found. Chitin is a biopolymer consisting of N-acetyl-D­ glucosamine (NAG) monomers chained together via (1--+4) glycosidic linkages; it is found in the exoskeletons of crustaceans, such as crabs and shrimp, so chitin is abundant and renewable. The main obstacle in the utilization of chitin as a feedstock is its solubility. It is insoluble in water and traditional organic solvents can degrade or derivatize the biopolymer. As a result, a new solvent must be chosen, one that effectively dissolves the biopolymer but does not degrade it. Once the biopolymer has been dissolved, it must be depolymerized in order to utilize it as a feedstock chemical. The basis of this project is that ionic liquids (IL), salts that exist in the liquid state, are ideal candidates to be utilized for dissolving and subsequently depolymerizing chitin because of their ability to disrupt hydrogen bonding. Chitin was successfully dissolved in [BMIM]Cl. Depolymerization of chitin with the facilitation of 1-methyl-3-(3- sulfopropyl)-imidazolium triflate, a Bnmsted-acid ionic liquid catalyst, was attempted at 80 °C, 100 °C, and 120 °C. LC/MS analysis showed the presence of different products yet to be discerned.

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