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Hydrogen‐Economic Synthesis of Gasoline‐like Hydrocarbons by Catalytic Hydrodecarboxylation of the Biomass‐derived Angelica Lactone Dimer
Author(s) -
Chang Fei,
Dutta Saikat,
Mascal Mark
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
chemcatchem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.497
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1867-3899
pISSN - 1867-3880
DOI - 10.1002/cctc.201700314
Subject(s) - levulinic acid , catalysis , chemistry , hydrogen , yield (engineering) , biomass (ecology) , dimer , gasoline , organic chemistry , lactone , octane rating , materials science , oceanography , metallurgy , geology
The biomass‐derived platform molecule levulinic acid is converted into the angelica lactone dimer (ALD) in high overall yield using simple inorganic catalysts. Hydrodecarboxylation of ALD using a Pd/γ‐Al 2 O 3 catalyst under moderate hydrogen gas pressure at high temperatures generates branched C 8 –C 9 hydrocarbons in nearly quantitative yield consuming as little as a single equivalent of external hydrogen. These molecules are high‐octane “drop‐in” equivalents of isoalkanes used in commercial gasoline. Catalytic hydrodecarboxylation is presented as a highly effective means to reduce hydrogen demand in biomass‐to‐biofuel conversion technologies.