Simple, Inexpensive, High-Yield Process for the Production of Motor Fuels from Cellulose

智力优势：将植物生物质转化为液体发动机燃料，并具有影响国家石油需求的能力，已成为一个核心的科学和经济目标。虽然这方面的研究正在进行，并取得了进展，但尚未出现大规模生产生物燃料的经济上可持续的方法。该提案通过有效地从葡萄糖、蔗糖、葡萄糖醇、纤维素和原木质纤维素生物质中提取高能量的呋喃基液体来解决这一挑战。该建议是建立在初步数据的基础上，这些数据证明了原理证明，即单糖和纤维素可以在双相酸//溶剂反应器中转化为呋喃材料，具有非常好的生物燃料产量潜力。在此基础上，第一个项目(a)研究反应参数（浓度、萃取速率、萃取溶剂和搅拌）及其对反应动力学的影响之间的相互关系。由于废弃生物质是我们的最终焦点，在(b)部分，我们研究了使用玉米秸秆、木屑、秸秆和新闻纸作为转化为燃料的原材料的放大过程。在许多开发植物生物量的方法中，半纤维素成分的潜力没有得到有效的实现。为了利用这一巨大的资源，我们调整了我们的工艺，将C5糖馏分共转化为糠醛，从而在液体燃料和增值产品的生产中实现生物质总聚糖的利用。在(c)部分中，我们考虑了具有多种不饱和程度的糠醛是否可能被证明是化学“储氢”的可靠介质。糖的C-C偶联得到链延伸的C12分子是最终从糖中获得有用碳氢化合物的关键目标，这是通过我们衍生的糠醛产品的C=O函数的还原电化学偶联来探索的(d)部分。最后，我们的双相脱水-卤素取代化学应用于葡萄糖醇及其环化产物，可能导致新一代的呋喃生物燃料。更广泛的影响：拟议的活动所产生的更广泛的影响是多方面的。首先，它对替代能源格局的影响，进而对整个社会的影响将是巨大的。将化学与解决现实问题联系起来的研究非常适合整合到高中研究项目（SEED项目）、本科生研究、新生研讨会、本科生实验课程和公共K-12科学推广讲座中。PI和联合PI致力于积极的教育推广活动，并通过这项研究计划鼓励代表性不足的群体参与。最后，这项研究也有利于最终与私营部门建立伙伴关系。这个建议的指导维度是广泛的。具体活动包括对小组初级成员的博士后共同监督，共同起草出版物和资助提案，参加资助写作研讨会，职业道德的正式培训，以及参加加州大学戴维斯分校未来教授（PFTF）计划。

0932391MascalSummaryIntellectual Merits: The cost-effective conversion of plant biomass into liquid motor fuels with the capacity to impact the nation's petroleum demand has become a central scientific and economic objective. Although research is being done in this area and progress made, no economically sustainable approach to the mass production of biofuels has yet emerged. This proposal addresses this challenge by efficiently deriving high-energy furan-based liquids from glucose, sucrose, glucitol, cellulose, and raw lignocellulosic biomass. The proposal is founded on preliminary data which demonstrates the proof-of-principle, i.e. that simple sugars and cellulose can be converted in a biphasic acid//solvent reactor into furanic materials with demonstrated biofuel potential in remarkably good yield. From there, the first project (a) undertakes a study of the interrelationship between the reaction parameters (concentration, extraction rate, extracting solvent, and agitation) and its effect on the reaction kinetics. Since waste biomass is our ultimate focus, in part (b) we study the scaled up process using corn stover, wood chips, straw, and newsprint as the raw material for conversion to fuels. In many approaches to the exploitation of plant biomass, the potential of the hemicellulose component is not effectively realized. To draw on this vast resource, we adapt our process to co-convert the C5 sugar fraction into furfural, thereby achieving total glycan utilization of biomass in the production of both liquid fuels and value-added products. In part (c), we consider whether furfurals, with their multiple degrees of unsaturation, may prove to be credible media for chemical "hydrogen storage." The C-C coupling of sugars to give chain extended C12 molecules is a key goal in the eventual sourcing of useful hydrocarbons from saccharides, and this is explored via reductive electrochemical coupling of the C=O functions of our derived furfural products in part (d). Finally, our biphasic dehydration-halogen-substitution chemistry is applied to glucitol and its cyclization products, potentially leading to new generations of furanic biofuels. Broader Impacts: The broader impacts resulting from the proposed activity are manifold. First, its bearing on the alternative energy landscape and hence on society as a whole will be substantial. Research which brings to the fore the relevance of chemistry in tackling real-world problems is ideal for integration into high school research projects (Project SEED), undergraduate research, freshman seminars, undergraduate laboratory courses, and public K-12 science outreach lectures. The PI and co-PI are committed to aggressive educational outreach activities as well as encouraging the participation of underrepresented groups through this research program. Finally, this research also lends itself well to eventual partnerships with the private sector. The mentoring dimension of this proposal is broad. Specific activities include postdoc co-supervision of junior members of the group, co-drafting of publications and grant proposals, attending grant-writing workshops, formal training in professional ethics, and participation in the UC Davis Professors of the Future (PFTF) program.