Production\nof Succinic Acid Directly from Tartaric\nAcid by Iodine-Mediated Transfer Hydrogenation

Herein, a new method to selectively convert tartaric\nacid to succinic\nacid was developed by catalytic transfer hydrogenation using iodine\nas the catalyst and methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) as both the hydrogen\ndonor and the solvent. Under optimized reaction conditions, 85% succinic\nacid can be obtained directly from tartaric acid with a catalytic\namount of iodine in MIBK at 160 °C for 4 h. Moreover, succinic\nacid can automatically precipitate out from the reaction solvent after\ncooling due to its much lower solubility in MIBK at room temperature,\nwhich provides an easy way for product separation. The detailed mechanism\nhas been studied extensively by control experiments. The cheap catalyst,\nmild reaction condition, and easy separation of the product make this\nprocess a green path for succinic acid production.