A Korean research team has developed an innovative technology that simultaneously produces two high-value chemicals using only glucose.
The research team led by Dr. Young Kyu Hwang, Dr. Kyung-Ryul Oh, and Dr. Jihoon Kim at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) has developed a circular low-carbon catalytic process that co-produces gluconic acid—a key ingredient in detergents and pharmaceuticals—and sorbitol, widely used in sweeteners and cosmetics.
This process eliminates the need for external hydrogen or oxygen gas and operates under ambient conditions, significantly reducing both energy consumption and carbon emissions.
Currently, gluconic acid and sorbitol are essential chemicals produced globally at the scale of millions of tons annually. However, conventional processes require separate production pathways for the production of gluconic acid and sorbitol from glucose and typically involve high temperatures (50–150 °C) and high-pressure hydrogen or oxygen (often exceeding 10 bar), leading to high costs and substantial CO₂ emissions.
To address these challenges, the research team successfully implemented an internal hydrogen transfer mechanism, where hydrogen generated during the dehydrogenation of glucose to gluconic acid is immediately transferred to neighboring glucose molecules, converting them into sorbitol.
This process can be likened to a bicycle mechanism—where the energy generated internally is directly utilized without external input—representing a self-sustaining, energy-efficient system.
The core of this technology lies in a specially designed bifunctional Pt–Sn catalyst (PtSn/ZrO₂). By optimizing the Pt-to-Sn ratio to 3:1, the researchers achieved precise control over the reaction. While pure Pt leads to excessive hydrogen release, the addition of Sn modulates the reaction kinetics, enabling efficient hydrogen utilization.
As a result, 100% of the generated hydrogen is utilized for sorbitol production, achieving an ideal stoichiometric outcome: 50 molecules of gluconic acid and 50 molecules of sorbitol from 100 molecules of glucose.
From an industrial perspective, this technology is highly promising. Using high-concentration glucose feedstocks, the process achieves production rates exceeding 1.5 kg L⁻¹ day⁻¹, comparable to conventional high-temperature, high-pressure processes.
In addition, the research team applied bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BMED) for product separation, achieving over 98.5% purity for the final products.
The energy cost for separation is remarkably low—approximately KRW 150 per kilogram—demonstrating strong economic feasibility.
Furthermore, this platform technology can be extended to other biomass-derived sugars. For example, using xylose derived from lignocellulosic biomass, it can produce xylitol, a key ingredient in sugar-free gum.
Dr. Young Kyu Hwang stated,
"This research presents a model for a circular chemical process that maximizes resource efficiency without waste. By producing chemicals from biomass instead of petroleum while significantly reducing carbon emissions, this technology is expected to enhance the competitiveness of the chemical industry."
The study was published in January in Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy, one of the world's leading journals in catalysis.
