Goal

The aim of the project is to manufacture a product for thermal insulation in the construction sector from hardwood particles and fibres using previously unproven methods for foaming while simultaneously improving fire protection and microbial stability. The Department of Organic-Analytical Chemistry is focussing on the catalytic synthesis of new silicon compounds. These are to be used as additives for the hydrophobisation of cellulose. The largely unknown substance class of bis(triorganosilyl)carbonates can release CO2 in addition to the silanisation of the hydroxyl groups in order to initiate foaming. By varying the residues, it is possible to customise the properties of the additive. For example, derivatives with oligomeric silanes as residues can produce hydrophobic surfaces very quickly. These promising possibilities call for a synthetically efficient route that enables industrial relevance and further research into the substance class.

Methods

The following approaches are intended to deliver results for the project and solve key problems:

• Organic catalytic synthesis of silicon additives for the silanisation of wood fibres
• Application of alternative foaming processes for the production of porous materials
• Production of suitable test specimens for mechanical testing
• Further testing of optimised samples for fire behaviour and insulation properties by a laboratory to be commissioned
• Documentation of the material and energy balance of the raw materials and processes used
• Derivation of carbon balances to compare the climate protection contribution of conventional insulation materials such as Styrodur®

Target

One of the objectives of the project is to determine the correct fertiliser requirements of hemp for the various uses. The previous values in the "Yellow Booklet" are outdated and only designed for fibre use. By revising them, groundwater can be protected and unnecessary amounts of fertiliser can be saved. With concrete recommendations on sustainable cultivation and the achievable qualities and yields, the presentation of the various utilisation options and up-to-date contact lists for processors and equipment rental companies, the project aims to create the necessary decision-making basis for further cultivation of this beneficial crop.

Method

As part of the project, important research questions on hemp cultivation, utilisation directions and market potential are determined using the following approach:

• Clarification of production-related questions depending on the direction of use and possibilities of mechanical weed control in grain hemp
• Examination of the site conditions
• Ecological assessment, particularly with regard to water protection
• Development of specific variety recommendations depending on the direction of use and crop rotation
• Display of possible utilisation variants and linkage utilisation
• Networking to provide contacts to processors, rental options for harvesting equipment and information on the legal situation
• Presentation of findings at the annual TFZ field day and through information material

The occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases is closely linked to advancing age. The preparations currently on the market for the treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's serve to combat symptoms and cannot stop the disease itself. Novel therapeutic approaches are aimed at activating the regeneration of the affected area by administering special substances. Some secondary plant constituents of hops show interesting effects in vitro with regard to the regeneration and new formation of nerve cells and may therefore be suitable for use in regenerative medicine. Studies on market and consumer behaviour with regard to herbal medicinal products have shown that there is a general consumer interest in innovative plant-based medicinal products and that they are also interested in hop-based products.

The aim of the project is to generate an expanded sales market through a new product for hop-processing companies in Bavaria. One sub-goal is the further development of a special, patent-pending method for obtaining valuable neuroactive hop extracts on a pilot scale. To this end, a special extract will be produced from a hop processing residue that has been used as animal feed to date, which is to be used in phytopharmaceuticals. To this end, a product concept for such a phytopharmaceutical is to be developed and tested that takes into account the early stage of development and the inherent risks.

The aim of this project is to research blue-green algae as a starting point for high-quality products using cultivated biomass. For this purpose, lynbyatoxins are specifically modified using metal-catalysed diene metathesis. Metathesis increases the lipophilicity of these substances. Lyngbyatoxins are generally regarded as neurotoxic compounds that easily cross the blood-brain barrier. The substances are analysed for their neurotoxicity and differentiation potential using bioactivity tests.

The aim of this project is to research blue-green algae as a starting point for high-quality products using cultivated biomass. For this purpose, lynbyatoxins are specifically modified using metal-catalysed diene metathesis. Metathesis increases the lipophilicity of these substances. Lyngbyatoxins are generally regarded as neurotoxic compounds that easily cross the blood-brain barrier. The substances are analysed for their neurotoxicity and differentiation potential using bioactivity tests.

Currently, depression is associated with a decline in the formation of new nerve cells in certain areas of the brain. A state-of-the-art therapeutic approach therefore aims to stimulate the formation of new nerve cells from the body's own adult stem cells. Cell-based studies have identified a group of substances in hops that initiate specialisation into nerve cells. In addition, a method was developed to obtain a special extract with a higher concentration of active ingredients. Such extract preparations put the use of hops on an innovative footing, as they could be used to treat many neurodegenerative diseases. 

The overall objective is therefore to clarify the suitability of such special extracts with regard to phytopharmaceutical application (standardisation of the production process, biological activity, consumer acceptance). Reliable therapeutic results can only be achieved if, in addition to batch conformity, extract production is also standardised. In addition to the optimisation and standardisation of the process, the active ingredient content in different hop varieties will be examined. Furthermore, the biological activity of the extracts is determined by pharmacological tests in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. The combination of the data on the process, the economic efficiency and the potential effect provides information on the suitability of the production process. In addition, a possible use in phytopharmacy also depends on the acceptance by the consumer (target group 30+). Health aspects play an important role for this group, as they are in their most productive phase of life, but are increasingly affected by initial illnesses due to stress factors.

In a joint project with the Straubing Science Centre, the farm biorefinery is to be used to develop a plant that makes special use of grass and grass silage as raw materials. In a modular and decentralised small plant, gaseous olefins such as ethene or isoprene are to be obtained from the biomass by fermentative digestion and conversion processes. These in turn are to be used as starting materials for other valuable products such as fuels. This is the main difference between the farm biorefinery and the biogas plant, whose product methane is so largely inert that it is not suitable for further chemical utilisation.

The aim of this subproject is the catalytic conversion of biotechnologically produced ethylene into liquid energy sources. As a gas, it can be easily separated in the preceding production step and then oligomerised into short-chain hydrocarbons with about 6-18 carbon atoms. Depending on the chain length and degree of branching, the product can be used as diesel or gasoline, but longer-chain molecules are no longer suitable for these fuels due to their excessively high boiling point.

For this purpose, a cost-effective catalyst is to be developed that operates under the mildest possible conditions and is highly resistant to impurities. The aim is also to ensure that the plant is operated as maintenance-free as possible and that high catalytic productivity is achieved in order to guarantee long production cycles. The catalysts used will be based on large-scale processes such as the Shell Higher Olefin process, but adapted to the milder conditions and smaller scale of the farm biorefinery.

The focus is on organometallic nickel complexes with bidentate P,O or N,O chelating ligands. The properties of the catalyst are significantly influenced by their size, structure and substitution pattern. Above all, the degree of oligomerization is a decisive parameter, since both short-chain and long-chain molecules are unsuitable for use as fuel. The coligands used, especially various phosphines, also play an important role here.

Initially, the catalysts are used in a homogeneous solution and the products are separated by distillation. In the further course of the project, a reactor prototype will also be developed and the process heterogenized by applying the catalyst to an inert carrier material.

Xanthohumol, the highly concentrated prenyl flavonoid in the hop plant, is converted into flavanone isoxanthohumol during the brewing process. The most highly concentrated prenylflavanones in beer are therefore isoxanthohumol and 6 prenylnaringenin. Since isoxanthohumol is metabolized to 8 prenylnaringenin in the body and 6-prenylnaringenin is directly ingested, these substances ingested by beer were examined for their biological activities such as neurogenesis-inducing and anti-cancerogenic activity. Both compounds show differentiation-inducing activities on neuronal stem cells and have been identified as HDAC (histone deacelyase) inhibitors.

In order to have an effect on the neuronal stem cells in the brain, the substances have to cross the blood-brain barrier. Consequently, the penetration of the two flavonoids 6 prenylnaringenin and 8 prenylnaringenin through the blood-brain barrier will be investigated in a model system.

Various methods are known for the production of polyamide monomers from petrochemical sources. As in many other areas, the synthesis of polyamide monomers attempts to replace or supplement these petroleum-based raw materials with renewable ones. In this project, aliphatic, unsaturated fatty acids will serve as starting materials. Oleic acid is of particular interest due to its low price and availability. To produce a carbonamide, a nitrogen functionality must be introduced.

In the current project, the unsaturated fatty acids are to be converted into the corresponding furoxanes with the aid of dinitrogen trioxide N₂O₃, which can then be split into the desired amines.

Another point is the synthesis of such wax compound classes. In maritime organisms, which are difficult to access deep in the sea, long-chain ethers and oligomers can be found. The synthesis of these long-chain ethers and their subsequent oligomerisation could make them more easily accessible. The properties of their use in plastics, thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), can then be determined.