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物）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。传统的加工是基于硫酸催化。 该提案旨在利用负载型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受到生物质原料初始热解产生的广泛的中间产物以及中间产物选择性地转化为高价值燃料和化学产品的下游转化的挑战。 催化提供了促进下游反应的机会，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烷烃提供直接路线，同时还提供了对低聚反应和单体反应的机理的深入了解，以获得另一种重要的商业产品环戊酮。该提案基于这样的假设：通过使用具有可调酸性和碱性位点的负载型非均相催化剂并结合优化的反应条件，相对于均相酸催化反应，可以显着提高对目标烷烃的选择性。为此，该研究将筛选催化剂配方，反应器设计和操作条件的广阔空间，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，具有生产柴油和喷气燃料的经济途径的潜力。同时，研究人员还将探索将糠醇直接转化为环戊酮，一种多用途的化学原料。这两项研究将与布鲁克海文国家实验室合作进行，以获得与广泛催化反应相关的基本科学理解。 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员提供广泛的催化剂培训，并扩大研究员先前与高中生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.