title: Upgrading Lignocellulosic Products to Drop-In Biofuels via Dehydrogenative Cross-Coupling and Hydrodeoxygenation Sequence.
abstract: Life-cycle analysis (LCA) allows the scientific community to identify the sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of novel routes to produce renewable fuels. Herein, we integrate LCA into our investigations of a new route to produce drop-in diesel/jet fuel by combining furfural, obtained from the catalytic dehydration of lignocellulosic pentose sugars, with alcohols that can be derived from a variety of bio- or petroleum-based feedstocks. As a key innovation, we developed recyclable transition-metal-free hydrotalcite catalysts to promote the dehydrogenative cross-coupling reaction of furfural and alcohols to give high molecular weight adducts via a transfer hydrogenation-aldol condensation pathway. Subsequent hydrodeoxygenation of adducts over Pt/NbOPO4 yields alkanes. Implemented in a Brazilian sugarcane biorefinery such a process could result in a 53-79% reduction in life-cycle GHG emissions relative to conventional petroleum fuels and provide a sustainable source of low carbon diesel/jet fuel.
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (USA), Fax: (+1)510-643-9480.
authors.forename: Sanil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sreekumar
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (USA), Fax: (+1)510-643-9480.
authors.forename: Madhesan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balakrishnan
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (USA), Fax: (+1)510-643-9480.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goulas
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (USA), Fax: (+1)510-643-9480.
authors.forename: Gorkem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gunbas
authors.affiliation: BP North America Inc. 2151 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94720 (USA).
authors.forename: Amit A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Gokhale
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (USA), Fax: (+1)510-643-9480.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Louie
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (USA), Fax: (+1)510-643-9480.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grippo
authors.affiliation: Energy Analysis & Environmental Impacts Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States). cdscown@lbl.gov.
authors.forename: Corinne D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Scown
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (USA), Fax: (+1)510-643-9480. alexbell@berkeley.edu.
authors.forename: Alexis T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (USA), Fax: (+1)510-643-9480. fdtoste@berkeley.edu.
authors.forename: F Dean
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Toste
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry*; D056804:Biofuels; D005662:Furaldehyde / Q000737:chemistry*; D005742:Gasoline; D006865:Hydrogenation; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry*; D031786:Saccharum
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D056804:Biofuels; D005742:Gasoline; C036909:lignocellulose; D008031:Lignin; D005662:Furaldehyde
keywords: greenhouse gas; heterogeneous catalysis; hydrodeoxygenation; hydrotalcite; life-cycle analysis