The Role of Catalysis to Sustainable Aviation Fuels

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 3650

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Instituto de Tecnología Química (UPV-CSIC), Universitat Politècnica de València-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avenida de los Naranjos s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Interests: heterogeneous catalysis; reaction mechanisms on molecular scale; biomass transformation; hydrothermal carboniation; biomass platform molecules; fine chemicals
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School of Information, Systems, and Modelling, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology, Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
Interests: energy and fuel; renewable energy; environmental sustainability; biomass energy; thermal engineering; green technology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The production of sustainable transportation fuels has been a hot topic for more than a decade and its focus is moving from the diesel fraction to sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). Thereby, several types have already been certifed for certain blending limits, such as synthetic isoparaffinic kerosene from hydroproessing of fermented sugars, alkylated light aromatics, or synthetic paraffinic kerosene obtained by Fischer–Tropsch, or alcohol to jet, and, last but not least, hydroprocessed fatty acid esters and free fatty acids (HEFA). Catalysis plays a fundamental role in the production process of all of them and most procedures need further improvement.

The most popular SAF is HEFA, but it suffers from the limited availability of the raw materials, such as used cooking oil. Therefore, other unexploited resources have to be evaluated as raw materials and catalysis is the tool to unlock their potential and facilitate their transformation into SAF. Especially lignocellulosic materials, available in almost unlimited volume, have to be upgraded. Thereby, multi-step processes have to be considered, often starting with a thermochemical process and primary product is then made suitable for blending in the oil refinery by catalytic upgrading.

This Special Issue will present the most recent and significant developments in the production of sustainable aviation fuel and the catalytic processes involved. Original papers on the above topics and short reviews are welcome for submission.

Dr. Michael Renz
Dr. Hwai Chyuan Ong 
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • hydrodeoxygenation
  • biomass depolymerization
  • renewable energy
  • lignocellulosic biomass
  • sustainable feedstocks
  • hydrocarbons
  • cycloalkanes
  • bio-based alkenes
  • platform molecules
  • integrated refining strategies

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 5415 KiB  
Article
Selective Synthesis of Renewable Bio-Jet Fuel Precursors from Furfural and 2-Butanone via Heterogeneously Catalyzed Aldol Condensation
by Atikhun Chottiratanachote, Manaswee Suttipong, Umer Rashid, Vudhichai Parasuk, Junko Nomura Kondo, Toshiyuki Yokoi, Ali Alsalme and Chawalit Ngamcharussrivichai
Catalysts 2023, 13(2), 242; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13020242 - 20 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2531
Abstract
This study aims to synthesize α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with branched structures via aldol condensation of furfural and 2-butanone using magnesium–aluminum (MgAl) mixed oxides as heterogeneous acid–base catalysts. Regarding the molecular structure of 2-butanone, there are two possible enolate ions generated by subtracting the [...] Read more.
This study aims to synthesize α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with branched structures via aldol condensation of furfural and 2-butanone using magnesium–aluminum (MgAl) mixed oxides as heterogeneous acid–base catalysts. Regarding the molecular structure of 2-butanone, there are two possible enolate ions generated by subtracting the α-hydrogen atoms at the methyl or methylene groups of 2-butanone. The branched-chain C9 products, derived from the methylene enolate ion, can be applied as bio-jet fuel precursors. The most suitable catalyst, contributing the highest furfural conversion (63%) and selectivity of the branched-chain C9 products (77%), is LDO3, the mixed oxides with 3:1 Mg:Al atomic ratio, with a high surface area and a large number of medium basic sites. The suitable reaction conditions to produce the branched-chain C9 ketones are 1:5 furfural:2-butanone molar ratio, 5 wt.% catalyst loading, 120 °C reaction temperature, and 8 h reaction time. Additionally, this study investigates the adsorption of 2-butanone onto a mixed oxide using in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; the results of which suggest that the methylene enolate of 2-butanone is the likely dominant surface intermediate at elevated temperatures. Accordingly, the calculation, based on density functional theory, indicates that the methylene enolate ion of 2-butanone is the kinetically favorable intermediate on an MgO(100) as a model oxide surface. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Catalysis to Sustainable Aviation Fuels)
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