Designing Novel Types of Cooperative Effects to Influence Catalytic Performance

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This study seeks to design a solid-catalyst substitute for a liquid-phase catalytic process used to convert fructose (obtained from biorenewable sources) to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) - a key intermediate chemical that can be further processed to a range of fuel and chemical products. The solid-catalyst approach has the potential to reduce the cost and complexity of biorenewables processing, thereby making bio-fuels and bio-chemicals more competitive with fossil-derived analogs. The study will also include an educational outreach plan that will increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields. Specifically, the PI seeks to co-immobilize the two elements of the conventional liquid-phase process (sulfonic acids in a dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) solvent) on a solid silica support to achieve cooperative catalytic sites that dehydrate fructose to HMF with high selectivity. The proposed work will focus on the precise grafting of organosilane tethering agents onto the silica support to achieve the desired cooperative effects. Optimization will be achieved by varying several properties of the tethered groups such as length and molecular structure. The study will also address the stability of the tethered species in the aqueous reaction environment. The technological impact of the project can be substantial if it can open the door to a water-based process that eliminates the energy intensive (and expensive) distillation process currently needed to separate the product HMF from the DMSO solvent. Overall, this would create a more direct route from biomass to HMF - a versatile platform chemical that can be used to create biomass-derived polymers, to synthesize fuel additives, or to produce commodity chemicals from renewable sources. In addition to undergraduate and graduate education opportunities, the project will interface with several existing programs at Ohio State University to create a classroom module for students and a project to introduce the concepts of acids and bases to elementary school children.