Hydrodeoxygenation of lignin-derived monomers and lignocellulose pyrolysis oil on the carbon-supported Ru catalysts

Hydrodeoxygenation of Lignin-Based Compounds over Ruthenium Catalysts Based on Sulfonated Porous Aromatic Frameworks

Bifunctional catalysts are a major type of heterogeneous catalytic systems that have been widely investigated for biomass upgrading. In this work, Ru-catalysts based on sulfonated porous aromatic frameworks (PAFs) were used in the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of lignin-derived compounds: guaiacol, veratrole, and catechol. The relationship between the activity of metal nanoparticles and the content of acid sites in synthesized catalysts was studied. Herein, their synergy was demonstrated in the Ru-PAF-30-SO3H/5-COD catalyst. The results revealed that this catalytic system promoted partial hydrogenation of lignin-based compounds to ketones without any further transformations. The design of the Ru-PAF-30-SO3H/5-COD catalytic system opens a promising route to the selective conversion of lignin model compounds to cyclohexanone.

Advances in Versatile Nanoscale Catalyst for the Reductive Catalytic Fractionation of Lignin

In the past five years, biomass-derived biofuels and biochemicals were widely studied both in academia and industry as promising alternatives to petroleum. In this Review, the latest progress of the synthesis and fabrication of porous nanocatalysts that are used in catalytic transformations involving hydrogenolysis of lignin is reviewed in terms of their textural properties, catalytic activities, and stabilities. A particular emphasis is made with regard to the catalyst design for the hydrogenolysis of lignin and/or lignin model compounds. Furthermore, the effects of different supports on the lignin hydrogenolysis/hydrogenation are discussed in detail. Finally, the challenges and future opportunities of lignin hydrogenolysis over nanomaterial-supported catalysts are also presented.

Production of bio-oil from fast pyrolysis of biomass using a pilot-scale circulating fluidized bed reactor and its characterization

To circumvent the adverse impacts arising from an excessive use of fossil fuels, bioenergy and chemical production from a carbon neutral resource (biomass) has drawn considerable attention over the last two decades. Among various technical candidates, fast pyrolysis of biomass has been considered as one of the viable technical routes for converting a carbonaceous material (biomass) into biocrude (bio-oil). In these respects, three biomass samples (i.e., sawdust, empty fruit bunch, and giant Miscanthus) were chosen as a carbon substrate for the pyrolysis process in this study. A pilot-scale circulating fluidized bed reactor was employed for the pyrolysis work, and biocrude from the fast pyrolysis process at 500 °C were characterized because the maximum yield of biocrude (60 wt% of the original sample mass) was achieved at 500 °C. The physico-chemical properties of biocrude were measured by the international standard/protocol (ASTM D7544 and/or EN 16900 test method) to harness biocrude as bioenergy and an initial feedstock for diverse chemicals. All measurements in this study demonstrated that the heating value, moisture content, and ash contents in biocrude were highly contingent on the type of biomass. Moreover, characterization of biocrude in this study significantly suggested that additional unit operations for char and metal removal must be conducted to meet the fuel standard in terms of biocrude as bioenergy.