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Catalysts
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Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Chemicals
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Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Chemicals

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 5077

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Xiaofeng Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
Interests: biomass conversion; nanostructured catalyst design; environmental catalysis; hydrogenation reaction; selective catalytic reduction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the last decade, the rapid depletion of fossil fuels has escalated the demand for renewable biomass as alternatives to chemicals and fuels. Lignocellulose, as the main component of biomass, consists of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. All these compounds can be catalytically converted to valuable chemicals and high-quality biofuel. Currently, considerable research efforts have been devoted to screening out efficient catalysts using specific model compounds as reaction substrates, which lay the foundation for the development of general catalysts for bio-oil upgrading. However, the complexity of bio-oil components and the repolymerization of phenolic compounds in thermal environments have augmented the difficulty of exploring efficient catalysts and related reaction mechanisms.

This Research Topic aims to highlight and collect the latest progress regarding novel nanostructured catalysts for the conversion of biomass and derivatives to valuable chemicals and biofuels. In this Special Issue, we welcome manuscripts related to the catalytic conversion of biomass and upgrading of bio-oil and model compounds. Topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

  1. Hydrogenation/hydrogenolysis/hydrodeoxygenation of biomass and derivatives to biofuels and valuable chemicals;
  2. Catalytic oxidation of biomass and derivatives;
  3. Catalytic pyrolysis of biomass to bio-oil.

Dr. Xiaofeng Wang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Catalysts is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomass conversion
  • hydrogenation
  • nanostructured catalysts
  • biomass derivatives
  • oxidation

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 8441 KiB  
Article
H-Beta Zeolite as Catalyst for the Conversion of Carbohydrates into 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural: The Role of Calcination Temperature
by Xinyi Xing, Wanni Liu, Siquan Xu and Jianxiu Hao
Catalysts 2024, 14(4), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal14040248 - 08 Apr 2024
Viewed by 2736
Abstract
H-Beta zeolite is a solid acid catalyst commonly utilized in the catalytic conversion of biomass resources. In this study, H-Beta zeolite was calcined at different temperatures (350, 550, 750, and 1000 °C) to explore the effects of high temperature-induced dealumination on its physicochemical [...] Read more.
H-Beta zeolite is a solid acid catalyst commonly utilized in the catalytic conversion of biomass resources. In this study, H-Beta zeolite was calcined at different temperatures (350, 550, 750, and 1000 °C) to explore the effects of high temperature-induced dealumination on its physicochemical properties and its catalytic ability to convert glucose into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). It was shown that as the calcination temperature increased, the Si-O-Al bond of H-Beta zeolite was broken and its dealumination effect was enhanced. Dealumination led to the collapse of the framework of H-Beta zeolite and a reduction in the number of acid sites, which in turn reduced its catalytic performance and the efficiency of HMF formation from glucose. Furthermore, H-Beta zeolite exhibited an extraordinary catalytic ability for the production of HMF from carbohydrates. Using glucose and cellulose as substrates, superior HMF yields of 91% and 46%, respectively, were achieved under optimal reaction conditions. Further, calcination removes carbon deposits in the recovered H-Beta zeolite, but it affects the cycling stability of the catalyst. Meanwhile, the by-products formed during the synthesis of HMF from glucose catalyzed by H-Beta zeolite catalyst were also clearly detected. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Chemicals)
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22 pages, 5605 KiB  
Article
A Kinetic Model of Furfural Hydrogenation to 2-Methylfuran on Nanoparticles of Nickel Supported on Sulfuric Acid-Modified Biochar Catalyst
by Ismaila Mudi, Abarasi Hart, Andrew Ingram and Joseph Wood
Catalysts 2024, 14(1), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal14010054 - 11 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1113
Abstract
Lignocellulosic biomass can uptake CO2 during growth, which can then be pyrolysed into three major products, biochar (BC), syngas, and bio-oil. Due to the presence of oxygenated organic compounds, the produced bio-oil is not suitable for direct use as a fuel and [...] Read more.
Lignocellulosic biomass can uptake CO2 during growth, which can then be pyrolysed into three major products, biochar (BC), syngas, and bio-oil. Due to the presence of oxygenated organic compounds, the produced bio-oil is not suitable for direct use as a fuel and requires upgrading via hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) and hydrogenation. This is typically carried out over a supported metal catalyst. Regarding circular economy and sustainability, the BC from the pyrolysis step can potentially be activated and used as a novel catalyst support, as reported here. A 15 wt% Ni/BC catalyst was developed by chemically modifying BC with sulfuric acid to improve mesoporous structure and surface area. When compared to the pristine Ni/BC catalyst, sulfuric activated Ni/BC catalyst has excellent mesopores and a high surface area, which increases the dispersion of Ni nanoparticles and hence improves the adsorptive effect and thus catalytic performance. A liquid phase hydrogenation of furfural to 2-methylfuran was performed over the developed 15 wt% Ni/BC catalyst. Langmuir–Hinshelwood–Hougen–Watson (LHHW) kinetic type models for adsorption of dissociative H2 were screened based on an R2 value greater than 99%, demonstrating that the experimental data satisfactorily fit to three plausible models: competitive (Model I), competitive at only one type of adsorption site (Model II), and non-competitive with two types of adsorption sites (Model III). With a correlation coefficient greater than 99% between the experimental rates and the predicted rate, Model III, which is a dual-site adsorption mechanism involving furfural adsorption and hydrogen dissociative adsorption and surface reaction, is the best fit. The Ni/BC catalyst demonstrated comparative performance and significant cost savings over previous catalysts; a value of 24.39 kJ mol−1 was estimated for activation energy, −11.43 kJ mol−1 for the enthalpy of adsorption for H2, and −5.86 kJ mol−1 for furfural. The developed Ni/BC catalyst demonstrated excellent stability in terms of conversion of furfural (96%) and yield of 2-methylfuran (54%) at the fourth successive experiments. Based on furfural conversion and yield of products, it appears that pores are constructed slowly during sulfuric acid activation of the biochar. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Chemicals)
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19 pages, 6203 KiB  
Article
Structure and Catalytic Performance of Carbon-Based Solid Acids from Biomass Activated by ZnCl2
by Yao Wu, Hao Zhang, Zhaozhou Wei, Deyuan Xiong, Songbai Bai, Menglong Tong and Pengcheng Ma
Catalysts 2023, 13(11), 1436; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13111436 - 14 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 961
Abstract
In the current investigation, carbon-based solid acid catalysts were synthesized from peanut shells (PSs) and rice straw (RS) using ZnCl2 activation and concentrated sulfuric acid sulfonation. These catalysts were then employed for the hydration of pinene to produce terpineol. The research findings [...] Read more.
In the current investigation, carbon-based solid acid catalysts were synthesized from peanut shells (PSs) and rice straw (RS) using ZnCl2 activation and concentrated sulfuric acid sulfonation. These catalysts were then employed for the hydration of pinene to produce terpineol. The research findings suggest that the natural porous structure of RS is more amenable to ZnCl2 activation compared to PSs. Furthermore, the catalysts prepared from fully activated RS by ZnCl2 (RSA-C-S) had a higher SBET and higher density of oxygen-containing groups (–COOH) in comparison with unactivated RS-based solid acids (RSC-S). The characterization outcomes revealed that RSA-C-S possesses a specific surface area of 527.0 m2/g, significantly outperforming RSC-S, which has a surface area of 420.9 m2/g. Additionally, RSA-C-S registered a higher –COOH density of 1.37 mmol/g, as opposed to RSC-S’s, with 1.07 mmol/g, attributable to the partial oxidation of internal –OH groups during activation. Experimental data from hydration tests confirmed that the catalyst’s superior performance is largely attributed to its elevated specific surface area and a high density of –COOH functional groups. Under optimal reaction parameters, RSA-C-S demonstrated unparalleled catalytic efficiency in the synthesis of α-terpineol via hydration of α-pinene, achieving conversion and selectivity rates of 87.15% and 54.19%, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Chemicals)
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