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• Colmenares, J
• Luque, R
• Campelo, J
• Colmenares, F
• Karpiński, Z
• Romero, A
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• Colmenares, J
• Luque, R
• Campelo, J
• Colmenares, F
• Karpiński, Z
• Romero, A
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• Colmenares, J
• Luque, R
• Campelo, J
• Colmenares, F
• Karpiński, Z
• Romero, A

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Materials 2009, 2(4), 2228-2258; doi:10.3390/ma2042228

Review

Nanostructured Photocatalysts and Their Applications in the Photocatalytic Transformation of Lignocellulosic Biomass: An Overview

Juan Carlos Colmenares ^1,* , Rafael Luque ^2,* , Juan Manuel Campelo ² , Fernando Colmenares ^3,4 , Zbigniew Karpiński ¹  and Antonio Angel Romero ²

¹ Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warszawa, Poland ² Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Córdoba, Edificio Marie Curie, Ctra Nnal IV, Km 396, E-14014, Córdoba, Spain ³ School of Engineering, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL, UK ⁴ Gas Turbine Engineering Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of St. Bonaventure, Cra. 8H No. 172-20, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia

* Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 7 November 2009; in revised form: 27 November 2009 / Accepted: 2 December 2009 / Published: 7 December 2009

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biomimetics and Materials Design)

Download PDF Full-Text [783 KB, uploaded 7 December 2009 11:01 CET]

Abstract: Heterogeneous photocatalysis offer many possibilities for finding appropiate environmentally friendly solutions for many of the the problems affecting our society (i.e., energy issues). Researchers are still looking for novel routes to prepare solid photocatalysts able to transform solar into chemical energy more efficiently. In many developing countries, biomass is a major energy source, but currently such countries lack of the technology to sustainably obtain chemicals and/or fuels from it. The Roadmap for Biomass Technologies, authored by 26 leading experts from academia, industry, and government agencies, has predicted a gradual shift back to a carbohydrate-based economy. Biomass and biofuels appear to hold the key to satisfy the basic needs of our societies for the sustainable production of liquid fuels and high value-added chemicals without compromising the scenario of future generations. In this review, we aim to discuss various design routes for nanostructured photocatalytic solid materials in view of their applications in the selective transformation of lignocellulosic biomass to high value-added chemicals.

Keywords: heterogeneous photocatalysis; nanoparticles; biomass transformation; solar energy; biofuels

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