Advanced Catalysts for the Production of Fuels or Chemicals from Biomass

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 11267

Special Issue Editors

1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi 110016, India
2. Amity Institute of Applied Sciences, Amity University, Noida Amity Rd, Sector 125, Noida 201301, Uttar Pradesh, India
Interests: mesoporous materials; lignocellulosic biomass conversion; metal single atom catalysis; electrochemical oxygen reduction; waste to value-added chemicals
Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi 110016, India
Interests: biomass conversion; CO2-adsorption and conversion; plastic waste to hydrocarbon fuel; artificial photosynthesis; e-waste conversion
School of Materials Science, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
Interests: porous organic polymers; COFs; MOFs; heterogeneous catalysis; photocatalysis
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Demand for alternative and clean energy is progressively increasing due to the depletion of fossil reserves. Being abundant and cheap, biomass has enormous potential as an alternative to nonrenewable fossil sources. In this context, a sustainable approach for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to high-value chemicals and fuels is of urgent need. However, to circumvent the complicated pathway for the separation and recovery of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, the pretreatment of lignocellulosic feedstock is demanded. Green catalytic routes employing heterogeneous catalysts, deep eutectic solvents and ionic liquids are promising in this regard.

This Special Issue on “biomass conversion” thus showcases the most recent discoveries and significant developments in the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to platform chemicals and fuels. Among other conventional pathways employing high T&P, methods for biomass conversion including electrochemical, sonochemical and microwave routes show significant resource recovery in a relatively mild and convenient way. Unlike conventional catalysts, the progressive use of mesoporous polymers, covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) shows a significant difference in the selectivity of the desired products due to the unique properties of the porous hosts and the interaction with the active sites. We, therefore, welcome all original papers and short reviews encompassing the above subject line for submission.

Dr. Arindam Modak
Prof. Dr. Kamal Kishore Pant
Prof. Dr. Asim Bhaumik
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • mesoporous catalysts
  • microporous polymers
  • nanoparticles
  • microwave method
  • sonochemical method
  • electrochemical method
  • lignin conversion
  • deep eutectic solvent
  • biomass pyrolysis
  • life cycle assessment

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 4197 KiB  
Article
Epoxidation of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters with Hydrogen Peroxide Catalyzed by Peroxopolyoxotungstate PW4 Encapsulated in the MIL-100(Cr) Framework
by Anton L. Esipovich, Evgeny A. Kanakov, Tatyana A. Charykova and Ksenia V. Otopkova
Catalysts 2023, 13(1), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13010138 - 06 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1781
Abstract
The MIL-100(Cr), PW12@MIL-100(Cr) and PW4@MIL-100(Cr) catalysts were prepared and characterized through XRD, FTIR, BET, SEM, EDS and Raman spectroscopy. A comparison of the catalytic properties of the synthesized materials in the epoxidation of FAMEs with hydrogen peroxide was made. The PW4@MIL-100(Cr) catalyst exhibited [...] Read more.
The MIL-100(Cr), PW12@MIL-100(Cr) and PW4@MIL-100(Cr) catalysts were prepared and characterized through XRD, FTIR, BET, SEM, EDS and Raman spectroscopy. A comparison of the catalytic properties of the synthesized materials in the epoxidation of FAMEs with hydrogen peroxide was made. The PW4@MIL-100(Cr) catalyst exhibited the highest catalytic activity and provided a high selectivity for the formation of epoxides. The effects of the reaction temperature, catalyst loading, reaction time and FAME:hydrogen peroxide molar ratio on the reaction performance were investigated, and the optimal process conditions were determined. An epoxide yield of 73% with a selectivity of 77% could be obtained using PW4@MIL-100(Cr) after 4 h at 40 °C. The catalytic stability test showed that PW4@MIL-100(Cr) could be easily separated and reused without any treatment for at least five consecutive cycles without a loss of activity or selectivity. Full article
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17 pages, 3719 KiB  
Article
Spillover Hydrogen on Electron-Rich Ni/m-TiO2 for Hydrogenation of Furfural to Tetrahydrofurfuryl Alcohol
by Ravi Balaga, Kishore Ramineni, Xiaoqiang Zhang, Peifang Yan, Mahender Reddy Marri, Vijayanand Perupogu and Zongchao Conrad Zhang
Catalysts 2022, 12(10), 1286; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12101286 - 21 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1977
Abstract
Conversion of biomass-derived furfural (FFA) platform molecule to value-added tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA) molecule is a sustainable route using an efficient non-noble metallic catalyst in water solvent. In this work, Ni in various loadings on mesoporous titanium dioxide (m-TiO2) was synthesized in [...] Read more.
Conversion of biomass-derived furfural (FFA) platform molecule to value-added tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA) molecule is a sustainable route using an efficient non-noble metallic catalyst in water solvent. In this work, Ni in various loadings on mesoporous titanium dioxide (m-TiO2) was synthesized in one pot by Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly (EISA). The synthesised catalysts were evaluated for the hydrogenation of furfural to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol. The catalysts were characterised using a combination of spectroscopic techniques such as XRD, H2-TPR, H2-TPD, XPS, SEM-EDX, TEM, and HR-TEM. The characterization results show that the Ni/m-TiO2 materials exhibit enhanced electron-rich active sites, facilitated hydrogen spillover, uniform dispersion of small Ni particles (~5 nm), and strong metal support interaction between Ni and TiO2. Among the various Ni dopings, 7.5 wt.% Ni/m-TiO2 catalyst exhibited the best performance and achieved 99.9% FFA conversion and 93.2% THFA selectivity in water solvent at 100 °C and under 2 MPa H2. Additionally, detailed kinetic studies, process parameters, the stability and reusability of the catalyst were also studied. The results demonstrated that the 7.5 wt.% Ni/m-TiO2 catalyst is highly active and stable. Full article
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Review

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19 pages, 2815 KiB  
Review
Production of Hydrogen from Lignocellulosic Biomass: A Review of Technologies
by Lourdes Jara-Cobos, Mónica Abril-González and Verónica Pinos-Vélez
Catalysts 2023, 13(4), 766; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13040766 - 18 Apr 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3690
Abstract
Hydrogen is considered one of the most important forms of energy for the future, as it can be generated from renewable sources and reduce CO2 emissions. In this review, the different thermochemical techniques that are currently used for the production of hydrogen [...] Read more.
Hydrogen is considered one of the most important forms of energy for the future, as it can be generated from renewable sources and reduce CO2 emissions. In this review, the different thermochemical techniques that are currently used for the production of hydrogen from biomass from plantations or crops, as well as those from industrial or agro-industrial processes, were analyzed, such as gasification, liquefaction, and pyrolysis. In addition, the yields obtained and the reactors, reaction conditions, and catalysts used in each process are presented. Furthermore, a brief comparison between the methods is made to identify the pros and cons of current technologies. Full article
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24 pages, 1687 KiB  
Review
A State-of-the-Art Review on the Technological Advancements for the Sustainable Management of Plastic Waste in Consort with the Generation of Energy and Value-Added Chemicals
by Abdul Rafey, Kunwar Pal, Ashish Bohre, Arindam Modak and Kamal Kishore Pant
Catalysts 2023, 13(2), 420; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13020420 - 16 Feb 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3116
Abstract
Plastic waste poses a serious threat to the environment and it has been increasing at an alarming rate. In 2022, global plastic waste generation was reported to be around 380 million tonnes as compared to 353 million tonnes in 2019. Production of liquid [...] Read more.
Plastic waste poses a serious threat to the environment and it has been increasing at an alarming rate. In 2022, global plastic waste generation was reported to be around 380 million tonnes as compared to 353 million tonnes in 2019. Production of liquid fuel from plastic waste is regarded as a viable method for disposing of the plastic and utilizing its energy. Currently, a wide range of technologies have been explored for turning plastic waste into fuel, including the conventional pyrolysis, incineration, gasification and advanced oxidation. However, a systematic summary and comparative analysis of various technologies has still not reported. Traditional non-biodegradable plastic waste (NPW) treatment methods include landfilling and incineration, but these methods encounter bottlenecks and are unable to adequately address NPW issues. This review attempts to present a thorough summary of treatment methods for plastic waste (both conventional and novel treatment technologies that have recently been reported), examine their mechanism and their current state of development. Furthermore, the superiority and drawbacks of each technology are analysed and the prospects of technology application are proposed. By tackling the problems of white pollution and energy scarcity, this review intends to inspire the use of solid waste as a source of energy. Full article
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