Recyclable process for sustainable adipic acid production in microemulsions

Adipic acid is an important industrial intermediate for the manufacture of nylon-6,6. We propose a recyclable and environmentally friendly process for the oxidation of cyclohexene by hydrogen peroxide in microemulsions. These organized nano-structured media have been formulated in using the molecular economy principle. The main interests of the present work are the easy recovery of pure adipic acid and the reuse of the reaction media, what are promising for developing a future green industrial process. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.