Catalysis in Biorefinery

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2023) | Viewed by 14240

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Institute on Membrane Technology, National Research Council, ITM-CNR, 87036 Rende, Italy
Interests: biocatalytic membrane reactor; innovative integrated membrane processes; bioengineering and bioseparation; membrane bioreactors; magnetic nanoparticle bioconjugates; biorefinery
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Institute on Membrane Technology (CNR-ITM), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy
Interests: membrane preparation and functionalization; catalytic membrane; catalytic membrane reactor development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The use of biomass as a renewable feedstock, in the place of fossil resources, is significantly increasing for the production of chemicals, material, and bioenergy. However, biorefinery strategies have to fulfil specific innovative requirements which allow them to be sustainable. In this contest, (bio)catalysis could play a significant role for biomass conversion, since it promotes the development of eco-friendly and competitive production. The possibility to develop innovative/sustainable (bio)catalytic systems is also highly desired in order to easily shift systems on the industrial scale.

This Special Issue aims to collect the most recent and innovative contributions for the development of effective (bio)catalysts and their integration with other systems (e.g., membranes, nanotube, sensors).

Dr. Rosalinda Mazzei
Dr. Teresa Poerio
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • (bio)catalysts in biorefinery
  • (bio)catalytic membrane systems in biorefinery
  • (bio)catalytic membrane processes in biorefinery
  • photocatalytic membrane processes in biorefinery
  • sustainable systems in biorefinery
  • integrated (bio)catalytic processes in biorefinery

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1622 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of 2-Alkylaryl and Furanyl Acetates by Palladium Catalysed Carbonylation of Alcohols
by Roberto Sole, Jacopo Cappellazzo, Leonardo Scalchi, Stefano Paganelli and Valentina Beghetto
Catalysts 2022, 12(8), 883; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12080883 - 11 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2334
Abstract
The one-pot alkoxycarbonylation of halo-free alkylaryl and furanyl alcohols represents a sustainable alternative for the synthesis of alkylaryl and furanyl acetates. In this paper, the reaction between benzyl alcohol, chosen as a model substrate, CH3OH and CO was tested in the [...] Read more.
The one-pot alkoxycarbonylation of halo-free alkylaryl and furanyl alcohols represents a sustainable alternative for the synthesis of alkylaryl and furanyl acetates. In this paper, the reaction between benzyl alcohol, chosen as a model substrate, CH3OH and CO was tested in the presence of a homogeneous palladium catalyst, an activator (isopropenyl acetate (IPAc) or dimethyl carbonate (DMC)) and a base (Cs2CO3). The influence of various reaction parameters such as the CO pressure, ligand and palladium precursor employed, mmol% catalyst load, temperature and time were investigated. The results demonstrate that decreasing the CO pressure from 50 bar to 5 bar at 130 °C for 18 h increases yields in benzyl acetate from 36% to over 98%. Further experiments were performed in the presence of piperonyl and furfuryl alcohol, interesting substrates employed for the synthesis of various fine chemicals. Moreover, furfuryl alcohol is a lignocellulosic-derived building block employed for the synthesis of functionalized furans such as 2-alkylfurfuryl acetates. Both the alcohols were successfully transformed in the corresponding acetate (yields above 96%) in rather mild reaction conditions (5–0.01 mol% catalyst, 5–2 bar CO pressure, 130 °C, 4–18h), demonstrating that the alkoxycarbonylation of alcohols represents a promising sustainable alternative to more impactful industrial practices adopted to date for the synthesis of alkylaryl and furfuryl acetates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalysis in Biorefinery)
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15 pages, 2097 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Autohydrolysis of Olive Pomaces to Obtain Bioactive Oligosaccharides: The Effect of Cultivar and Fruit Ripening
by Laura Freitas, Rita Simões, Isabel Miranda, Fátima Peres and Suzana Ferreira-Dias
Catalysts 2022, 12(7), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12070788 - 18 Jul 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2041
Abstract
The valorisation of agro-industrial residues presents a challenge in obtaining economically sustainable and environmentally friendly industrial processes. Olive pomace is a by-product generated in large quantities, from olive oil extraction. This residue mostly consists of lignocellulosic materials. The aim of this study was [...] Read more.
The valorisation of agro-industrial residues presents a challenge in obtaining economically sustainable and environmentally friendly industrial processes. Olive pomace is a by-product generated in large quantities, from olive oil extraction. This residue mostly consists of lignocellulosic materials. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential use of extracted olive pomaces (EOP) obtained from olives with different ripening indexes (RI) and from different cultivars (Cobrançosa; RI = 2.5; 3.3 and 4.7; and Galega Vulgar; RI = 1.8; 2.9 and 4.8), to produce bioactive oligosaccharides from hemicelluloses by autohydrolysis. The hydrothermal treatment conditions were optimized by Response Surface Methodology, following a central composite rotatable design (CCRD), as a function of temperature (T: 142–198 °C) and time (t: 48–132 min), corresponding to severity factor (SF) values from 3.2 to 4.9. For all pomace samples, soluble sugar production was described by concave surfaces as a function of temperature and time. Autohydrolysis with SF equal or higher than 4.0 produced higher sugar yields, with maximum values around 180 g glucose equivalent/kg EOP for SF of 4.7 (190 °C/120 min) or 4.9 (198 °C/90 min). These values were similar for both cultivars and were not dependent on the ripening stage of the olives. Maximum oligosaccharide (OS) yields of 98% were obtained by autohydrolysis with SF of 4.0. The increase in SF to 4.9 resulted in a decrease in OS yield to 86–92%, due to the release of monomeric sugars. The monosaccharides were mostly xylose (55.8–67.7% in Galega; 50.4–69.0% in Cobrançosa liquid phases), and glucose, galactose, arabinose and rhamnose, in smaller quantities. Therefore, the production of bioactive xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) from olive pomaces mainly depends on the hydrothermal conditions used. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalysis in Biorefinery)
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Review

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24 pages, 2518 KiB  
Review
Steam Reforming of Bioethanol Using Metallic Catalysts on Zeolitic Supports: An Overview
by Francesco Dalena, Emanuele Giglio, Alessia Marino, Alfredo Aloise, Gianfranco Giorgianni, Massimo Migliori and Girolamo Giordano
Catalysts 2022, 12(6), 617; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12060617 - 3 Jun 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3480
Abstract
Hydrogen is considered one of the energy carriers of the future due to its high mass-based calorific value. Hydrogen combustion generates only water, and it can be used directly as a fuel for electricity/heat generation. Nowadays, about 95% of the hydrogen is produced [...] Read more.
Hydrogen is considered one of the energy carriers of the future due to its high mass-based calorific value. Hydrogen combustion generates only water, and it can be used directly as a fuel for electricity/heat generation. Nowadays, about 95% of the hydrogen is produced via conversion of fossil fuels. One of the future challenges is to find processes based on a renewable source to produce hydrogen in a sustainable way. Bioethanol is a promising candidate, since it can be obtained from the fermentation of biomasses, and easily converted into hydrogen via steam catalytic reforming. The correct design of catalysts and catalytic supports plays a crucial role in the optimization of this reaction. The best results have to date been achieved by noble metals, but their high costs make them unsuitable for industrial application. Very satisfactory results have also been achieved by using nickel and cobalt as active metals. Furthermore, it has been found that the support physical and chemical properties strongly affect the catalytic performance. In this review, zeolitic materials used for the ethanol steam reforming reaction are overviewed. We discuss thermodynamics, reaction mechanisms and the role of active metal, as well as the main noble and non-noble active compounds involved in ethanol steam reforming reaction. Finally, an overview of the zeolitic supports reported in the literature that can be profitably used to produce hydrogen through ethanol steam reforming is presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalysis in Biorefinery)
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25 pages, 1793 KiB  
Review
Recent Advances in the Application of Enzyme Processing Assisted by Ultrasound in Agri-Foods: A Review
by Andrés Córdova, Paola Henríquez, Helena Nuñez, Fabián Rico-Rodriguez, Cecilia Guerrero, Carolina Astudillo-Castro and Andrés Illanes
Catalysts 2022, 12(1), 107; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12010107 - 17 Jan 2022
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4734
Abstract
The intensification of processes is essential for the sustainability of the biorefinery concept. Enzyme catalysis assisted by ultrasound (US) may offer interesting opportunities in the agri-food sector because the cavitation effect provided by this technology has been shown to improve the efficiency of [...] Read more.
The intensification of processes is essential for the sustainability of the biorefinery concept. Enzyme catalysis assisted by ultrasound (US) may offer interesting opportunities in the agri-food sector because the cavitation effect provided by this technology has been shown to improve the efficiency of the biocatalysts. This review presents the recent advances in this field, focused on three main applications: ultrasound-assisted enzymatic extractions (UAEE), US hydrolysis reactions, and synthesis reactions assisted by US for the manufacturing of agri-food produce and ingredients, enabling the upgrading of agro-industrial waste. Some theoretical and experimental aspects of US that must be considered are also reviewed. Ultrasonic intensity (UI) is the main parameter affecting the catalytic activity of enzymes, but a lack of standardization for its quantification makes it unsuitable to properly compare results. Applications of enzyme catalysis assisted by US in agri-foods have been mostly concentrated in UAEE of bioactive compounds. In second place, US hydrolysis reactions have been applied for juice and beverage manufacturing, with some interesting applications for producing bioactive peptides. In last place, a few efforts have been performed regarding synthesis reactions, mainly through trans and esterification to produce structured lipids and sugar esters, while incipient applications for the synthesis of oligosaccharides show promising results. In most cases, US has improved the reaction yield, but much information is lacking on how different sonication conditions affect kinetic parameters. Future research should be performed under a multidisciplinary approach for better comprehension of a very complex phenomenon that occurs in very short time periods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalysis in Biorefinery)
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