Nanomaterials as catalysts for bio derived chemicals and fuel synthesis

Agnieszka Ruppert

Institute of General and Ecological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology ul. Zeromskiego 116 90-924 Łodz

Highly valuable chemicals that can be obtained from waste biomass are named platform molecules. They have application in several industrial sectors, and they are crucial in the establishment of future biorefinery schemes. Among them, dimethylhydroxyfurfural (DMF) gamma-valerolactone (GVL) and 2-methyl tetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF) are recognized attractive biofuel additives.

There are however several challenges associated with the design of sustainable and efficient processes for the catalytic conversion of biomass. Firstly, challenges relate to the catalyst design, with the application of more robust non-noble metal based catalysts, or of more active catalysts in milder reaction conditions. To meet this challenge, there are many new strategies developed for the synthesis of fine tuned nanomaterials. Among them very interesting is the new approach based on the use of solar light which allows to control with a high precision the supported nanoparticle formation

On the other hand, the effect of the impurities from the waste feedstock on the catalytic materials is of crucial importance. Lignocellulosic biomass contains unwanted impurities that mostly depend (in nature and amount) on the origin of the biomass, but also on the initial pre-treatment applied. Among them, we can identify chlorine, heavy metals, but also mineral acids or bases that could be present in the feedstock after hydrolysis or delignification processes. Those components are often harmful to the metal active sites of the catalyst, and to the support material itself.

The aforementioned challenges will be discussed. The main focus will be the understanding of the relationship between the catalytic activity and the bulk and surface physico-chemical properties of the catalysts, as a key-step for implementing more sustainable processes for transforming biomass-derived substrates into platform molecules.

Acknowledgements

It is gratefully acknowledges the  financial support of this work  through a grant from the National Center of Science (NCN) in Krakow (Poland) (2016/22/E/ST4/00550).