A domestic research team has succeeded in producing benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and para-xylene (BTEX), which are used in PET bottles, Styrofoam, and nylon, from glucose obtained from biomass such as waste wood.
A joint team led by Distinguished Professor Lee Sang-yeop of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Professor Han Soon-gyu of the KAIST Department of Chemistry said on the 12th that it developed a process to produce BTEX from renewable bio-based feedstocks such as glucose and glycerol by combining a microbial fermentation process with an organic chemical reaction. The paper was published on the 2nd in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
BTEX is a key feedstock used throughout daily life, but until now it could only be obtained through petroleum refining. Attempts at plant-based production had long remained a difficult challenge.
The team solved this with a new process that fuses a microbial cell factory with a chemical reaction. Microbes use glucose and glycerol to make oxygenated intermediates such as phenol and benzyl alcohol, and then remove oxygen through a chemical reaction to obtain BTEX such as benzene and toluene.
In particular, efficiency was raised by redesigning microbial metabolic pathways with the "systems metabolic engineering technique" led by Lee Sang-yeop. The team also used a secret weapon: a special solvent called isopropyl myristate (IPM). This solvent can react directly without complex purification steps, and its high boiling point allows easy separation and recycling from BTEX. As a result, the process was simplified and efficiency increased significantly.
The platform established this time is significant in that it provides a renewable production route for BTEX by combining the selectivity of microbial metabolism with the efficiency of chemical reactions. Going forward, the team expects to design microbes to use feedstocks more efficiently, scale up the process to an industrial level, and introduce eco-friendly catalysts to advance the technology another step.
Distinguished Professor Lee Sang-yeop said, "Global demand for BTEX continues to increase," adding, "This achievement is an important advance that lowers dependence on petroleum, reduces the carbon footprint of the fuel and chemical industries, and enables a sustainable supply of feedstocks."
References
PNAS (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2509568122