A Combined Bio-Chemical Synthesis Route for 1-Octene Sheds Light on Rhamnolipid Structure

Here we report a chemoenzymatic approach to synthesize 1-octene from carbohydrates via ethenolysis of rhamnolipids. Rhamnolipids synthesized byP. putidacontain a double bond between carbon five and six, which is experimentally confirmed via olefin cross metathesis. Utilizing these lipids in the ethenolysis catalyzed by a Grubbs-Hoveyda-type catalyst selectively generates 1-octene and with good conversions. This study shows the potential of chemoenzymatic approaches to produce compounds for the chemical industry from renewable resources.