Computational synthesis design for controlled degradation and revalorization

Degradation of larger and undesired or harmful molecules into smaller and, ideally, value-added products is one of the most important facets of circular chemistry. However, this task may be cumbersome for chemists who are accustomed to planning syntheses using bond-forming, rather than bond-breaking, methodologies. This work describes a forward-synthesis algorithm that can guide such degradation-oriented analyses. This algorithm uses a broad knowledge-base of degradative and related reactions and applies them to arbitrary small-molecule feeds to generate large synthetic networks within which it then traces degradative pathways that are chemically sound and lead to value-added products. Predictions of the algorithm are validated by proof-of-concept experiments entailing degradation and revalorization of two biomass feeds, d-glucose and quinine. The controlled degradation of larger and potentially harmful molecules into smaller, and preferably valuable, products is a crucial step to close the waste-degradation-synthesis loop envisioned by circular chemistry. Now, a forward-synthesis algorithm is designed to facilitate such degradation-oriented analyses, and proof-of-concept experimental validation is provided.