O’Neil, Gregory W.; Carmichael, Catherine A.; Goepfert, Tyler J.; Fulton, James M.; Knothe, Gerhard; Lau, Connie Pui Ling; Lindell, Scott R.; Mohammady, Nagwa G-E.; Van Mooy, Benjamin A. S.; and Reddy, Christopher M., Beyond Fatty Acid Methyl Esters: Expanding the Renewable Carbon Profile with Alkenones from Isochrysis sp., Energy Fuels, Article ASAP DOI: 10.1021/ef3001828, 2012
In addition to characteristic fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), biodiesel produced from Isochrysis sp. contains a significant amount (14%, w/w) of predominantly C37 and C38 long-chain alkenones. These compounds are members of a class of lipids known collectively as polyunsaturated long-chain alkenones (PULCAs) that are produced by a range of other prymnesiophyte taxa. The physical properties of alkenones, such as high melting points ( 60 °C), renders the direct product unsuitable for use as a diesel fuel but, nonetheless, represents an important and as yet unexplored renewable carbon feedstock. |