The implementation of the Biomass4Synthons project was guided by the main objective of providing cutting-edge research and training in synthetic organic chemistry to the participating Widening countries, in order to use more modern and environmentally friendly tools for the efficient conversion of bio-renewable-based feedstocks into valuable synthetic building blocks.
During the project, significant progress beyond the state of the art has been achieved in the following topics:
• Valorisation of bioavailable chitin and chitosan through heterogeneous catalysis towards the synthesis of various nitrogen-containing furans;
• Transformation of furfural, obtained from transformation of biomass, into value added commodity compounds such as trans-4,5-diamino-cyclopent-2-enones, Achmatowicz products and other derivatives;
• Synthesis of Shikimic acid amide derivatives with potential antimicrobial activity;
• Efficient extraction of oleuropein from olive leaves, and methanolysis via heterogeneous catalysis;
• Electrochemical transformation of abietic and dehydroabietic acid, from gum rosin, towards new selectively oxidised products;
• Synthesis of beta-lactams from abietane diterpenoids via palladium catalyzed oxidation, and bioactivity assessment;
• Extraction of lupanine from lupin beans and its resolution and transformation to enantiopure sparteine;
• Electrochemical transformations of lupanine followed by valorisation via functional groups transformation;
• Total synthesis of bioactive marine natural product (±) and (-)-agelastatin A;
• Chemical transformations of Sphaerococcenol A, a brominated diterpene obtained from the red alga Sphaerococcus coronopifolius and their bioactivity assessment;
• Photocatalytic transformations of quinic acid;
• Visible light photoredox synthesis of 2-thiazolines derived from furanic aldehydes.
The scientific advances in the Biomass4Synthons project were always in line with biomass valorisation and focused on the use of more sustainable technologies such as flow chemistry, photochemistry, photocatalysis and electrochemistry.
The successful implementation of the Biomass4Synthons project had an impact on the proposed objectives:
• Intensification of S&T excellence and competitiveness, resulting in higher output quality of publications and patents;
• The mentoring and short-term staff exchange activities carried out had a tremendous impact on the young researchers' skills and research progress, strengthening their knowledge and training expertise. The expertise acquired with the twinning partners was effectively transferred to the home universities, thereby enhancing their scientific capabilities;
• The ongoing interaction with the industrial sector potentially involved in biomass commercial activities, combined with the generation of higher knowledge and scientific and technological achievements, will continue to strengthen the industrial sector, which will ultimately generate socio-economic impacts.
