Green synthesis of (-)-ethyl L-lactate and pyruvic acid from post-consumer polylactic acid waste

CHED 378

Meredith A. McFarland, mcfarlam@simmons.edu, Jessica E. Haffner, haffner@simmons.edu, Jennifer N. Boice, jennifer.boice@simmons.edu, Lauren E. Morrell, lauren.morrell@simmons.edu, Monali S. Gidwani, gidwani@simmons.edu, Katelyn T. Souza, katelyn.souza@simmons.edu, Cassandra Cacoq, cassandra.cacoq@simmons.edu, Nancy E. Lee, nancy.lee@simmons.edu, and Richard W. Gurney, richard.gurney@simmons.edu. Department of Chemistry, Simmons College, 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115
Simmons College has increased its environmental awareness on campus by purchasing cold beverage cups and food packaging products made out of a new, high-molecular weight biodegradable polymer called polylactic acid (PLA). PLA is made by a company called NatureWorks LLC, which was awarded the Presidential Green Chemistry Award in 2002 for their successful synthesis of the high molecular weight polymer. Preliminary research conducted in the undergraduate laboratories demonstrated that PLA can be used as a starting material and can be converted into useful, ‘greener' alternative products. A comparison of the greenest methods to convert PLA into (-)-ethyl L-lactate and pyruvic acid will be reported.
 

Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Chemical Education
11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008