EAGER: Alternative Pathways for Biofuel formation from Furfuryl alcohol over Heterogeneous Catalysts

Kim（1546647）这是一项探索性的概念验证研究，主要目的是将糠醇（生物质精炼的主要中间产品）直接反应为含有9至20个碳原子的碳氢化合物分子，适合用作运输燃料，特别是柴油和喷气燃料。传统的处理方法是用硫酸催化。该提案旨在利用负载催化剂展示更好的性能和产品选择性，同时也为提高工艺效率，减少浪费和更环保的环境足迹提供机会。生物质转化为有用产品的挑战来自于从生物质原料的初始热解产生的广泛中间产品，以及有选择地将中间产品下游转化为高价值燃料和化学产品。催化为促进下游反应提供了机会，但对所需产物的反应选择性仍然是一个挑战，催化剂失活是常见的。该项目将为生物质精炼的主要中间产物糠醇直接反应为适用于运输燃料的C9-C20烷烃提供直接途径，同时也将深入了解低聚反应和单体反应生成另一重要商业产品环戊酮的机理。该建议是基于这样的假设，即使用可调酸碱位的负载型非均相催化剂，结合优化的反应条件，可以显著提高对目标烷烃的选择性。为此，本研究将筛选广泛的催化剂配方、反应器设计和操作条件，以提高C9-C20产品效率。拟议的工作涉及与能源独立和纤维素生物质形式的可再生资源有关的一个重要研究领域，有可能为柴油和喷气燃料提供经济途径。同时，研究人员还将探索糠醇直接转化为环戊酮，这是一种通用的化学原料。这两项研究都将与布鲁克海文国家实验室合作进行，以获得与广泛的催化反应相关的基础科学理解。从教育的角度来看，该项目将为一名研究生和一名本科生研究人员提供广泛的催化剂培训，并扩大研究人员之前在高中生中建立的教育推广计划。

Kim (1546647)This is an exploratory, proof-of-concept study aimed primarily at reacting furfuryl alcohol (a major intermediate product of biomass refining) directly to hydrocarbon molecules containing nine to twenty carbon atoms suitable for use as transportation fuels, specifically diesel and jet fuel. Traditional processing is based on catalysis by sulfuric acid. This proposal seeks to demonstrate better performance and product selectivity utilizing supported catalysts while also providing opportunities for improved process efficiency, reduced waste, and a greener environmental footprint. Biomass conversion to useful products is challenged by the broad range of intermediate products produced from the intial pyrolysis of the biomass feedstock together with downstream conversion of the intermediates selectively to high-value fuel and chemical products. Catalysis offers opportunities for facilitating the downstream reactions, but reaction selectivity to desired products is still a challenge and catalyst deactivation is common. This project will provide a direct route for reacting a major intermediate product of biomass refining - furfuryl alcohol - directly to C9-C20 alkanes suitable for transportation fuels, while also providing insight into the mechanism of both the oligomerization reaction and the monomer reaction to cyclopentanone, another commercially important product. The proposal is based on the hypothesis that selectivity toward the targeted alkanes can be markedly improved with respect to the homogeneous acid-catalyzed reaction by using supported heterogeneous catalysts with tunable acidic and basic sites combined with optimized reaction conditions. To this end, the study will screen a broad space of catalyst formulations, reactor design, and operating conditions to enhance C9-C20 product efficiency. The proposed work addresses an important area of research related to energy independence and renewable resources in the form of cellulosic biomass, with potential to produce economic routes to diesel and jet fuel. In parallel, the investigator will also explore conversion of furfuryl alcohol directly to cyclopentanone, a versatile chemical feedstock. Both studies will be conducted in collaboration with Brookhaven National Laboratory to obtain fundamental scientific understanding of relevance to a broad range of catalytic reactions. From an educational standpoint, the project will provide broad catalyst training to one graduate student and an undergraduate researcher, as well as expanding educational outreach programs the investigator has previously established with high school students.