Catalytic Transformation of Biomass: From Waste to Fuels, Chemicals and High-Value Products

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomass Catalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 451

Special Issue Editor

Forest Products Laboratory, US Department of Agriculture, Madison, WI 53726, USA
Interests: lignin-based materials; biomass-derived carbon materials; nanomaterials; catalysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The increasing global demand for energy and chemicals, coupled with the limited fossil resources and more environmental concerns, necessitates a fundamental shift towards sustainable alternatives. Lignocellulosic biomass, an abundant and renewable carbon source, offers a compelling pathway to displace fossil fuels in the production of a wide array of valuable products. This Special Issue, "Catalytic Transformation of Biomass: From Waste to Fuels, Chemicals and High-Value Products", focuses on the latest developments in the catalytic transformation of biomass, advanced catalytic technologies, and the spectrum of fuels, chemicals, and high-value materials that can be derived from biomass. We seek contributions that explore the critical role of catalysis in enabling this transition, from established heterogeneous solid catalysts to cutting-edge single-atom, magnetic, and (photo)electrocatalytic systems. This Special Issue also addresses advances in catalytic converting complex biomass into versatile platform molecules and end-products, as well as innovation in catalyst design, process integration, and a holistic approach to resource management which is paramount for realizing a truly sustainable and economically viable bioeconomy.

Dr. Qiangu Yan
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • biomass
  • fuels
  • chemicals
  • high value products
  • catalytic transformation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 9921 KB  
Article
Investigating the Impact of Incorporating Alkali Metal Cations on the Properties of ZSM-5 Zeolites in the Methanol Conversion into Hydrocarbons
by Senlin Dong, Jie Yang and Benoit Louis
Catalysts 2025, 15(10), 987; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15100987 - 15 Oct 2025
Viewed by 365
Abstract
Alkali metal-modified M-ZSM-5 zeolites (M: Li+, Na+, K+) were synthesized by cationic exchange and characterized using ICP-MS, XRD, N2 adsorption–desorption, Py-IR and NH3-TPD techniques to evaluate their elemental composition, structure, textural and acidic properties. [...] Read more.
Alkali metal-modified M-ZSM-5 zeolites (M: Li+, Na+, K+) were synthesized by cationic exchange and characterized using ICP-MS, XRD, N2 adsorption–desorption, Py-IR and NH3-TPD techniques to evaluate their elemental composition, structure, textural and acidic properties. In addition, XPS and DFT calculations were employed to study the effects of metal ion doping on the electronic structure and catalytic behavior. The latter catalytic performance was assessed in the methanol-to-olefin (MTO) reaction. The results showed that alkali metal doping facilitated the enhancement of the zeolite structural stability, adjustment of acid density, and increase in the adsorption energy of light olefins onto the active sites. During the reaction, olefin products shifted from Brønsted acid sites to alkali metal sites, effectively minimizing hydrogen transfer reactions. This change in the active site nature promoted the olefin cycle, resulting in higher yields in propylene and butylenes, reduced coke deposition, and prolonged catalyst lifetime. Among all zeolites, Li-exchanged ZSM-5 exhibited the best and extending the catalyst lifetime by 5 h. Full article
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