Selective transformation of lignocellulose to hydrocarbon chemicals in one reactor

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Continued reliance on petroleum oil poses serious ongoing problems that include greenhouse gas emissions and geopolitical security of supply; declining petroleum deposits also lead to rising crude oil prices that negatively impact world economies. Against this background, attention is turning to plant biomass, the only sustainable source of organic carbon. Biofuels derived from plant biomass are currently the only carbon-neutral, renewable alternative to fossil fuels. Renewable diesel/gasoline fuels are the transportation fuels of future. The core research problem is the selective conversion of highly functionalized sugar and lignin-derived chemicals to infrastructure-compatible aliphatic fuels and aromatic chemicals, which are identical to those already produced from petroleum. The research proposed in this application addresses the issues. In one reactor, lignocellulose liquefaction and selective deoxygenation of decomposed intermediates to hydrocarbons and chemicals are realized at lean H2 conditions. Eliminating pressurized hydrogen gas will not only represent significant reduction in costs but also allow decentralized small biorefineries to use the technology, as high pressurized hydrogen gas is often available at centralized plants. The strategies used to achieve the goal are based on the concept of direct deoxygenation and in-situ hydrogen. Strategic outcomes of the proposed research are: (1) Develop mathematical models to quantitatively describe biomass decomposition process; similar research has not been documented in the literature. (2) Define a molten layer and identify the catalytic deoxygenation mechanism of decomposed intermediates; (3) Understand the role of in-situ hydrogen in catalytic deoxygenation (4) Generate a robust, deoxygenation catalyst and (5) Tech-economically evaluate the new biomass conversion process. The proposed research is well suited to train Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) for the emerging job market on biorefinery. Three PhD students and one PDF will be trained. This Discovery program will address an unmet need for specialists with strong engineering skills as well as catalysis expertise in the emerging area of biofuel.