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

马斯卡尔总结智力优势：以成本效益将植物生物质转化为液体汽车燃料，并有能力影响国家的石油需求，已成为一个核心的科学和经济目标。尽管在这一领域正在进行研究并取得进展，但还没有出现经济上可持续的大规模生产生物燃料的方法。这项提议通过有效地从葡萄糖、蔗糖、葡萄糖醇、纤维素和原始木质纤维生物质中提取高能呋喃液体来应对这一挑战。这项提议是以初步数据为基础的，这些数据证明了原理，即单糖和纤维素可以在两相酸/溶剂反应器中转化为具有生物燃料潜力的呋喃材料，产率非常高。在此基础上，第一个方案(A)研究了反应参数(浓度、萃取率、萃取剂和搅拌)之间的相互关系及其对反应动力学的影响。由于废物生物质是我们的最终关注点，在(B)部分，我们研究了以玉米秸秆、木屑、秸秆和新闻纸为原料转化为燃料的放大过程。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发挥。为了利用这一巨大的资源，我们调整了我们的工艺，将C5糖分共同转化为糠醛，从而实现了在生产液体燃料和附加值产品中利用生物质的全部葡聚糖。在(C)部分中，我们考虑了具有多种不饱和度的糠醛是否可以被证明是化学“储氢”的可靠介质。糖的C-C偶联得到链扩展的C12分子是最终从糖类中获得有用碳氢化合物的一个关键目标，这是通过我们在(D)部分中衍生的呋喃甲醛产物的C=O函数的还原电化学偶联来探索的。最后，我们的两相脱水-卤素取代化学应用于葡糖醇及其环化产物，有可能导致新一代呋喃生物燃料的出现。更广泛的影响：拟议活动产生的更广泛的影响是多方面的。首先，它将对替代能源格局产生重大影响，从而对整个社会产生重大影响。突出化学在解决现实世界问题中的相关性的研究是整合到高中研究项目(项目种子)、本科生研究、新生研讨会、本科生实验室课程和公共K-12科学推广讲座的理想选择。国际和平协会和联合国际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，这项研究也有助于最终与私营部门建立伙伴关系。这项提议的指导层面是广泛的。具体活动包括对小组初级成员进行博士后共同监督，共同起草出版物和拨款申请，参加拨款撰写研讨会，正式的职业道德培训，以及参与加州大学戴维斯分校未来教授计划(PFTF)。

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.