Methyl methacrylate (MMA) is a specialty monomer for poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) and the increasing demand for this monomer has motivated industry to develop clean technologies based on renewable resources. The dominant commercial process reacts acetone and hydrogen cyanide to MMA (ACH route) but the intermediates (hydrogen cyanide, and acetone cyanohydrin) are toxic and represent an environmental hazard. Esterification of methacrylic acid (MAA) to MMA is a compelling alternative together with ethylene, propylene, and isobutene/t-butanol as feedstocks. Partially oxidizing isobutane or 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol (2MPDO) over heteropolycompounds to MAA in a single-step is nascent technology to replace current processes. The focus of this review is on catalysts and their role in the development of processes herein described. Indeed, in some cases remarkable catalysts were studied that enabled considerable steps forward in both the advancement of catalysis science and establishing the basis for new technologies. An emblematic example is represented by Keggin-type heteropolycompounds with cesium and vanadium, which are promising catalysts to convert isobutane and 2MPDO to MAA. Renewable sources for the MMA or MAA route include acetone, isobutanol, ethanol, lactic, itaconic, and citric acids. End-of-life PMMA is expected to grow as a future source of MMA.

中文翻译：

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催化合成甲基丙烯酸和甲基丙烯酸甲酯†

甲基丙烯酸甲酯（MMA）是聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯（PMMA）的特殊单体，对这种单体的需求不断增长，促使工业界开发基于可再生资源的清洁技术。占主导地位的商业化方法是将丙酮和氰化氢与MMA反应（ACH路线），但中间体（氰化氢和丙酮氰醇）有毒，对环境构成危害。将甲基丙烯酸（MAA）酯化为MMA与乙烯，丙烯和异丁烯/ t一起是一种引人注目的替代方案-丁醇作为原料。在杂多化合物上一步一步将异丁烷或2-甲基-1,3-丙二醇（2MPDO）部分氧化为MAA是取代当前工艺的新兴技术。本文的重点是催化剂及其在本文所述方法开发中的作用。确实，在某些情况下，对出色的催化剂进行了研究，使催化科学的进步和建立新技术的基础都迈出了重要的一步。一个具有代表性的例子是具有铯和钒的Keggin型杂多化合物，这是将异丁烷和2MPDO转化为MAA的有前途的催化剂。MMA或MAA路线的可再生资源包括丙酮，异丁醇，乙醇，乳酸，衣康酸和柠檬酸。使用寿命终止的PMMA有望作为MMA的未来来源而增长。