Jack R. Ferrell

Recent advances in heterogeneous catalysts for bio-oil upgrading via “ex situ catalytic fast pyrolysis”: catalyst development through the study of model compounds

Advances in heterogeneous catalysis are driven by the structure–function relationships that define catalyst performance (i.e., activity, selectivity, lifetime). To understand these relationships, cooperative research is required: prediction and analysis using computational models, development of new synthetic methods to prepare specific solid-state compositions and structures, and identification of catalytically active site(s), surface-bound intermediates, and mechanistic pathways. In the application of deoxygenating and upgrading biomass pyrolysis vapors, a fundamental understanding of the factors that favor C–O bond cleavage and C–C bond formation is still needed. In this review, we focus on recent advances in heterogeneous catalysts for hydrodeoxygenation of biomass pyrolysis products. Focus is placed on studies that made use of model compounds for comparisons of catalysts and the reaction networks they promote. Applications of transition metal sulfide catalysts for deoxygenation processes are highlighted, and compared to the performances of noble metal and metal carbide, nitride, and phosphide catalysts. In general, it is found that bifunctional catalysts are required for deoxygenation in a single reactor, with bifunctionality achieved on the catalyst or in conjunction with the catalyst support. Catalysts that activate hydrogen well will be preferred for ex situ catalytic pyrolysis conditions (upgrading downstream of pyrolysis reactor prior to condensation of bio-oil, pressures near atmospheric, temperatures between 350–500 °C). Supports that limit chemisorption of large reactants (leading to blockage of catalyst sites) should be employed. Finally, the stability of the catalyst and support in high-steam and low hydrogen-to-carbon environments will be critical.

Chemical−Clathrate Hybrid Hydrogen Storage: Storage in Both Guest and Host

Hydrogen storage from two independent sources of the same material represents a novel approach to the hydrogen storage problem, yielding storage capacities greater than either of the individual constituents. Here we report a novel hydrogen storage scheme in which recoverable hydrogen is stored molecularly within clathrate cavities as well as chemically in the clathrate host material. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopic measurements confirm the formation of beta-hydroquinone (beta-HQ) clathrate with molecular hydrogen. Hydrogen within the beta-HQ clathrate vibrates at considerably lower frequency than hydrogen in the free gaseous phase and rotates nondegenerately with splitting comparable to the rotational constant. Compared with water-based clathrate hydrate phases, the beta-HQ+H2 clathrate shows remarkable stability over a range of p-T conditions. Subsequent to clathrate decomposition, the host HQ was used to directly power a PEM fuel cell. With one H2 molecule per cavity, 0.61 wt % hydrogen may be stored in the beta-HQ clathrate cavities. When this amount is combined with complete dehydrogenation of the host hydroxyl hydrogens, the maximum hydrogen storage capacity increases nearly 300% to 2.43 wt %.

In-depth investigation on quantitative characterization of pyrolysis oil by 31P NMR

The characterization of different heteroatom functional groups by employing 31P NMR has been developed for almost 30 years. In this study, an in-depth investigation of this commonly used method has been accomplished for the analysis of pyrolysis oil. Several commonly used internal standards for 31P NMR have been examined by in situ monitoring. The results indicated that endo-N-hydroxy-5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboximide (NHND) is not stable after a long period of storage or experiment (>12 hours), but both cyclohexanol and triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) can be used as internal standards if a long experiment or storage is required. The pyrolysis oil has also been investigated by both short time (16 hours) in situ monitoring and long time (14 days) ex situ monitoring. The results showed that aliphatic OH, carboxylic acids and water contents are not very stable after 2 hours, and thus a short time of preparation, storage, and experiment need to be considered to ensure a precise quantitative measurement. The decomposition products are still unclear, but some preliminary investigations for different acids, (e.g. formic acid) have been accomplished. The results indicated that the aromatic carboxylic acids (benzoic acid and vanillic acid) are more stable than formic acid and acetic acid. Interestingly, the formic acid will even decompose to some other compounds at the very beginning of the in situ monitoring test. Further characterization found that water is one of the major products for the decomposition of formic acid in the 31P NMR solution. As far as we know, this is the first report on such time-dependent changes when using 31P NMR to analyze the pyrolysis oil, and these results show that proper application of this method is essential to achieve reliable quantitative data.

Quantitative 13C NMR characterization of fast pyrolysis oils

Quantitative 13C NMR analysis of model catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) oils following literature procedures showed poor agreement for aromatic hydrocarbons between NMR measured concentrations and actual composition. Modifying integration regions based on DEPT analysis for aromatic carbons resulted in better agreement. Solvent effects were also investigated for hydrotreated CFP oil.

Hydroquinone Fuel Cells

Direct hydroquinone fuel cells have been studied where hydroquinone is oxidized to benzoquinone and the electrons released flow through the external circuit generating electricity. Different catalyst systems have been used to optimize the performance of these fuel cells. The effect of temperature, pressure and feed concentration on the fuel cell performance has been studied. At 20 psi back pressure, 80 oC cell temperature and 0.5 M feed concentration for the Pt/Ru oxidation catalyst an open circuit potential of 297 mV is obtained. The maximum current density of 15 mA/cm2 at 100 mV is observed. With the increase in pressure, temperature and concentration the fuel cell performance becomes better. However, with the increase in temperature and concentration, the open circuit potential lowers probably due to the increased crossover effects of these parameters.

Using Heteropolyacids in the Anode Catalyst Layer of Dimethyl Ether PEM Fuel Cells

In this study, polarization experiments were performed on a direct dimethyl ether fuel cell (DMEFC). The experimental setup allowed for independent control of water and DME flow rates. Thus the DME flow rate, backpressure, and water flow rate were optimized. Three heteropoly acids, phosphomolybdic acid (PMA), phosphotungstic acid (PTA), and silicotungstic acid (STA) were incorporated into the anode catalyst layer in combination with Pt/C. Both PTA-Pt and STA-Pt showed higher performance than the Pt control at 30 psig of backpressure. Anodic polarizations were also performed, and Tafel slopes were extracted from the data. The trends in the Tafel slope values are in agreement with the polarization data. The addition of phosphotungstic acid more than doubled the power density of the fuel cell, compared to the Pt control.