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Liquid Alkanes with Targeted Molecular Weights from Biomass‐Derived Carbohydrates
Author(s) -
West Ryan M.,
Liu Zhen Y.,
Peter Maximilian,
Dumesic James A.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
chemsuschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.412
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1864-564X
pISSN - 1864-5631
DOI - 10.1002/cssc.200800001
Subject(s) - hydrodeoxygenation , chemistry , biomass (ecology) , jet fuel , organic chemistry , biofuel , renewable fuels , furfural , renewable energy , liquid fuel , lignocellulosic biomass , sugar , butane , acetone , combustion , catalysis , fossil fuel , waste management , lignin , oceanography , electrical engineering , engineering , selectivity , geology
Liquid transportation fuels must burn cleanly and have high energy densities, criteria that are currently fulfilled by petroleum, a non‐renewable resource, the combustion of which leads to increasing levels of atmospheric CO 2 . An attractive approach for the production of transportation fuels from renewable biomass resources is to convert carbohydrates into alkanes with targeted molecular weights, such as C 8 –C 15 for jet‐fuel applications. Targeted n‐alkanes can be produced directly from fructose by an integrated process involving first the dehydration of this C 6 sugar to form 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural, followed by controlled formation of CC bonds with acetone to form C 9 and C 15 compounds, and completed by hydrogenation and hydrodeoxygenation reactions to form the corresponding n‐alkanes. Analogous reactions are demonstrated starting with 5‐methylfurfural or 2‐furaldehyde, with the latter leading to C 8 and C 13 n‐alkanes.