H-Atom-Forming Reaction Pathways in the Pyrolysis of Furan, 2-Methylfuran, and 2,5-Dimethylfuran: A Shock-Tube and Modeling Study

The unimolecular decomposition of dimethoxymethane: channel switching as a function of temperature and pressure

Branching ratios of competing unimolecular reactions often exhibit a complicated temperature and pressure dependence that makes modeling of complex reaction systems in the gas phase difficult. In particular, the competition...

A state-of-the-art review on emission characteristics of SI and CI engines fueled with 2,5-dimethylfuran biofuel

Currently, the considerable decline in fossil fuel resources and the high rise in vehicle emissions have prompted researchers and governments to formulate strategies for sustainable energy development. In addition to imposing strict laws, promoting sustainable energy sources such as the development of new types of non-fossil fuels has been considered a suitable direction for the roadmap to healing the Earth's environment. Biomass sources have affirmed huge potentials in the production of biofuels. In the pathway of searching renewable biofuels, it is found that that 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) can become a promising fuel because it is synthesized from lignocellulose biomass, which is an available feedstock for the production of prospective fuels. Indeed, recent review studies have focused in great detail on engine performance evaluation using DMF but seemed to have gaps in emission characteristics. In this work, the controversial issues of emissions from spark and compression ignition engines during the DMF combustion were completely assessed. Indeed, the mechanism of formation and oxidation of DMF compounds during combustion was clearly described to serve as the basis for analyzing and comparing the pollution emission behavior of different fuels. More importantly, gaseous emissions, PM characteristics, and soot tendency from spark and compression ignition engines were thoroughly evaluated on the basis of the experimental and numerical data. In general, DMF has shown outstanding advantages upon emissions compared to fossil fuels; however, the impacts of DMF on the engine durability and fuel system should be further investigated to have a comprehensive analysis of this biofuel class.

3-Bromopyridine-Heterogenized Phosphotungstic Acid for Efficient Trimerization of Biomass-Derived 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural with 2-Methylfuran to C21 Fuel Precursor

The production of long-chain carbon compounds (C9-C21) from biomass derivatives to alternate traditional fossil diesel is sustainable, eco-friendly, and potentially economic for modern industry. In this work, phosphotungstic acid heterogenized by 3-bromopyridine was achieved using a solvothermal method, which was demonstrated to be efficient for trimerization of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) with 2-methylfuran (2-MF) to C21 fuel precursor (57.1% yield) under mild reaction conditions. The heterogeneous acidic catalyst could be reused for four consecutive cycles without obvious loss of activity, and different characterization techniques (e.g., XRD (X-ray diffraction), TG (thermogravimetric analysis), SEM (scanning electron microscope), FT-IR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), and BET (Brunauer-Emmet-Teller)) were utilized to investigate the performance of the catalyst. In addition, a plausible reaction pathway was postulated, on the basis of results obtained by NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) and GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometer). This strategy provides a facile and efficient approach to prepare a recyclable acidic catalyst for the production of diesel fuel precursor from biomass via controllable polymerization.

Driving proton transfer reactions in the 2-methylfuran ring with external forces

In this paper we investigate the proton transfer reactions in 2-methylfuran.