Eucalyptus leaves can be used as a green source of a valuable chemical used in fragrances and pharmaceuticals. 

p-cymene is a significant feedstock used in the production of fragrances, pharmaceuticals, herbicides and fine chemicals and is currently obtained from crude oil. Now, Benjamin Leita and colleagues at CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies, Clayton, Australia have developed a method to produce it from the main component of Eucalyptus oil.     

The team used a continuous catalytic process that could easily be scaled up to mass production levels, says Leita. As well as using a biorenewable feedstock, the process is extremely efficient, using no solvents, and producing no costly wastes that need disposing. The main by-products being water, hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

'There is a growing need for the production of functionalised aromatics from renewable resources to replace traditional petrochemical feeds, for use in industry, particularly in the production of polymers,' which inspired the team to carry out this research, explains Leita.   

Justin Hargreaves, who specialises in catalysis research at the University of Glasgow, UK, comments, 'This is a very worthy study which outlines the production of two valuable products, hydrogen and p-cymene, by the combination of dehydration and dehydrogenation of a renewable feedstock under solvent-free conditions.'

Research is now underway to optimise the catalytic conditions of the reaction and increase the selectivity and yields of this promising green solution as an alternative feedstock to fossil fuels, adds Leita.

Rebecca Brodie

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