Use of diverse biomass feedstock in a process for the recovery of target C5 and C6 alditols and target glycols via staged hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis processes is disclosed. Particular alditols of interest include, but are not limited to, xylitol and sorbitol. Various embodiments of the present invention synergistically improve overall recovery of target alditols and/or glycols from a mixed C5/C6 sugar stream without needlessly driving total recovery of the individual target alditols and/or glycols. The result is a highly efficient, low complexity process having enhanced production flexibility, reduced waste and greater overall yield than conventional processes directed to alditol or glycol production.

Use of diverse biomass feedstock in a process for the recovery of target C5 and C6 alditols and target glycols via staged hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis processes is disclosed. Particular alditols of interest include, but are not limited to, xylitol and sorbitol. Various embodiments of the present invention synergistically improve overall recovery of target alditols and/or glycols from a mixed C5/C6 sugar stream without needlessly driving total recovery of the individual target alditols and/or glycols. The result is a highly efficient, low complexity process having enhanced production flexibility, reduced waste and greater overall yield than conventional processes directed to alditol or glycol production.

Use of diverse biomass feedstock in a process for the recovery of target C5 and C6 alditols and target glycols via staged hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis processes is disclosed. Particular alditols of interest include, but are not limited to, xylitol and sorbitol. Various embodiments of the present invention synergistically improve overall recovery of target alditols and/or glycols from a mixed C5/C6 sugar stream without needlessly driving total recovery of the individual target alditols and/or glycols. The result is a highly efficient, low complexity process having enhanced production flexibility, reduced waste and greater overall yield than conventional processes directed to alditol or glycol production.

Implementations of the disclosed subject matter provide methods for producing ethylene glycol from a carbohydrate feed which may include conditioning a heterogeneous hydrogenation catalyst by treatment with a protic acid resulting in an acid-conditioned heterogeneous hydrogenation catalyst. Next, in a reactor under hydrogenation conditions, the carbohydrate feed may be contacted with a bi-functional catalyst system comprising the acid-conditioned heterogeneous hydrogenation catalyst, and a soluble retro-Aldol catalyst. An intermediate product stream may be obtained from the reactor including ethylene glycol.

A process for preparing a catalyst includes impregnating a metal oxide carrier with an aqueous solution to form an impregnated carrier; drying the impregnated carrier to form a dried, impregnated carrier; and heat-treating the dried, impregnated carrier in air to form the catalyst; wherein: the aqueous solution includes a copper salt; and from about 3 wt % to about 15 wt % of a C.sub.3-C.sub.6 multifunctional carboxylic acid; and the catalyst includes from about 5 wt % to about 50 wt % copper oxide.

A process for purifying a crude composition includes a monoterpene compound selected from the group consisting of monocyclic monoterpene alcohols, monocyclic monoterpene ketones, bicyclic epoxy monoterpenes and mixtures of two or more of the aforementioned compounds, such as preferably a monocyclic monoterpene alcohol. The process comprises performing a layer crystallization with a melt of the crude composition, and the melt of the crude composition subjected to the layer crystallization includes oxygen-containing solvent in a concentration of 20 ppm to 2% by weight. The oxygen-containing solvent is selected from the group consisting of water, C1-6-alcohols, C1-6-carboxylic acids, C1-6-ketones, C1-6-aldehydes, C1-12-ethers, C1-12-esters and mixtures of two or more of the aforementioned solvents.

Provided are processes for preparing alpha, beta-unsaturated functional compounds using four major reaction steps: 1) air oxidation of an iso-paraffin to a mixture of alkyl hydroperoxide and alcohol; 2) converting the alkyl hydroperoxide and alcohol to dialkyl peroxide; 3) oxidative cross-coupling between a primary or secondary alcohol and a compound comprising at least one R3CH2- (R3=hydrogen or an optionally substituted hydrocarbyl) moiety to afford a coupled product using the dialkyl peroxide as a radical initiator, while the dialkyl peroxide is converted to a tertiary alcohol; 4) dehydration of the coupled product to yield an alpha, beta-unsaturated functional compound.

Provided are processes for preparing alpha, beta-unsaturated functional compounds using four major reaction steps: 1) air oxidation of an iso-paraffin to a mixture of alkyl hydroperoxide and alcohol; 2) converting the alkyl hydroperoxide and alcohol to dialkyl peroxide; 3) oxidative cross-coupling between a primary or secondary alcohol and a compound comprising at least one R3CH2- (R3=hydrogen or an optionally substituted hydrocarbyl) moiety to afford a coupled product using the dialkyl peroxide as a radical initiator, while the dialkyl peroxide is converted to a tertiary alcohol; 4) dehydration of the coupled product to yield an alpha, beta-unsaturated functional compound.

Methods for preparing isotopically modified 1,4-diene systems from non-isotopically modified 1,4-dienes involve selective oxidation of one or more bis-allylic position(s), or the preparation of isotopically modified 1,4-diene systems via trapping pi-allylic complexes with a source of deuterium or tritium. Such methods are useful for preparing isotopically modified polyunsaturated lipid including polyunsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acid derivatives.

Methods for preparing isotopically modified 1,4-diene systems from non-isotopically modified 1,4-dienes involve selective oxidation of one or more bis-allylic position(s), or the preparation of isotopically modified 1,4-diene systems via trapping pi-allylic complexes with a source of deuterium or tritium. Such methods are useful for preparing isotopically modified polyunsaturated lipid including polyunsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acid derivatives.