Curcumin Synthesis via Boron-Complex Filtration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for large-scale synthesis of curcumin face challenges such as pesticide contamination, radioactivity, yield variability, and the formation of undesirable slurries, making it difficult to achieve a robust and reproducible process with low sulphuric ash content, which is essential for industrial-scale production.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an additional step of filtering the boron-curcumin complex formed by condensation before hydrolysis, followed by recrystallization in specific solvents, allows for the production of crystalline curcumin with sulphuric ash content less than 20 ppm, preventing slurry formation and maintaining yields around 60-65%, facilitating handling and reducing synthesis costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the boron-curcumin complex is hydrolyzed directly without isolation, then the synthesis process is simpler, but slurries are formed during crystallisation making industrial handling difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the boron-curcumin complex from the reaction mixture by filtration before hydrolysis. This separation removes the source of slurry formation, allowing the subsequent hydrolysis and crystallisation to proceed smoothly without forming difficult-to-handle slurries, thus resolving the contradiction between process simplicity and product handling ease
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary filtration of the boron-curcumin complex before hydrolysis. This preliminary action prevents the formation of problematic slurries during later crystallisation steps, making the overall process more manageable at industrial scale while maintaining reasonable procedural steps
2Manufacturing precision
If additional purification steps are added to reduce sulphuric ash content, then product purity improves, but manufacturing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes boron-containing species from the system through filtration of the boron-curcumin complex and subsequent washing steps. This extraction eliminates the source of sulphuric ash without requiring extensive additional purification, achieving low ash content (<20 ppm) while maintaining efficient manufacturing time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent discards the boron-curcumin complex filtration residue and washes the filtered complex thoroughly to remove boron-containing species. This discarding and washing approach effectively reduces sulphuric ash content to below 20 ppm without adding time-consuming purification steps
3Ease of manufacture
If drinking water is used for hydrolysis without purification, then costs are reduced, but product purity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes boron-containing species through filtration and washing before the hydrolysis step. This preliminary removal eliminates the interaction between boron and drinking water impurities, allowing the use of inexpensive drinking water without compromising final product purity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary filtration and washing of the boron-curcumin complex to remove boron-containing species before hydrolysis with drinking water. This preliminary action prevents contamination during hydrolysis, enabling cost-effective use of drinking water while maintaining high product purity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in a robust and cost-effective method for producing curcumin on an industrial scale with consistent yields and reduced sulphuric ash content, enabling the production of both anhydrous and monohydrate forms with distinct pharmacological properties, suitable for pharmaceutical applications.
Implementation Method 1
separating the precipitate formed by the condensation of vanillin with acetylacetone by filtration before hydrolysing it
Implementation Method 2
hydrolysing the precipitated solid with an acidic solution
Implementation Method 3
recrystallising in organic solvents
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing curcumin, characterized in that the boron-curcumin complex formed after condensation is isolated by filtration. The invention also relates to monohydrate curcumin and to methods for converting monohydrate curcumin into anhydrous curcumin and vice versa.