Jan Dijkmans

Fast and Selective Sugar Conversion to Alkyl Lactate and Lactic Acid with Bifunctional Carbon–Silica Catalysts

A novel catalyst design for the conversion of mono- and disaccharides to lactic acid and its alkyl esters was developed. The design uses a mesoporous silica, here represented by MCM-41, which is filled with a polyaromatic to graphite-like carbon network. The particular structure of the carbon-silica composite allows the accommodation of a broad variety of catalytically active functions, useful to attain cascade reactions, in a readily tunable pore texture. The significance of a joint action of Lewis and weak Brønsted acid sites was studied here to realize fast and selective sugar conversion. Lewis acidity is provided by grafting the silica component with Sn(IV), while weak Brønsted acidity originates from oxygen-containing functional groups in the carbon part. The weak Brønsted acid content was varied by changing the amount of carbon loading, the pyrolysis temperature, and the post-treatment procedure. As both catalytic functions can be tuned independently, their individual role and optimal balance can be searched for. It was thus demonstrated for the first time that the presence of weak Brønsted acid sites is crucial in accelerating the rate-determining (dehydration) reaction, that is, the first step in the reaction network from triose to lactate. Composite catalysts with well-balanced Lewis/Brønsted acidity are able to convert the trioses, glyceraldehyde and dihydroxyacetone, quantitatively into ethyl lactate in ethanol with an order of magnitude higher reaction rate when compared to the Sn grafted MCM-41 reference catalyst. Interestingly, the ability to tailor the pore architecture further allows the synthesis of a variety of amphiphilic alkyl lactates from trioses and long chain alcohols in moderate to high yields. Finally, direct lactate formation from hexoses, glucose and fructose, and disaccharides composed thereof, sucrose, was also attempted. For instance, conversion of sucrose with the bifunctional composite catalyst yields 45% methyl lactate in methanol at slightly elevated reaction temperature. The hybrid catalyst proved to be recyclable in various successive runs when used in alcohol solvent.

Productive sugar isomerization with highly active Sn in dealuminated β zeolites

A water-tolerant Lewis acid catalyst was synthesized by grafting SnIV in isopropanol under reflux onto dealuminated zeolites with the BEA (β) topology. This synthesis method allows the production of highly active Snβ-type catalysts without the need for long hydrothermal syntheses or hydrogen fluoride, while using cheap Sn-precursors, industrially available β zeolites and standard catalyst synthesis unit operations. Extensive characterization of the best catalyst shows highly dispersed Sn in the zeolite matrix (XRD, 29Si MAS NMR and 1H MAS NMR) without the formation of SnO2 (XRD and UV-Vis). The catalyst was tested for the model isomerization of sugars such as glucose to fructose. The catalytic activity proved to be purely heterogeneous and the catalyst was recycled and reused without significant loss in activity. Isomerization productivities above 4 kg product per kg of catalyst per hour are reported with appreciably low Sn loadings, corresponding to exceptionally high turnover frequencies, viz. 500 cycles per Sn per hour at 110 °C, which surpass the activity per Sn of the original hydrothermally synthesized Snβ.

Mechanistic Insight into the Conversion of Tetrose Sugars to Novel α‐Hydroxy Acid Platform Molecules

α‐Hydroxy acids (AHAs) such as lactic acid are considered platform molecules in the biorefinery concept and have high‐end applications in solvents and biodegradable polyester plastics. The synthesis of AHAs with a four‐carbon backbone structure is a recently emerging field. New biomass‐related routes towards their production could stimulate their practical use in new polyester plastics. Herein, we report the unique catalytic activity of soluble tin metal salts for converting tetroses, namely erythrulose and erythrose, into new four‐carbon‐backbone AHAs such as methyl vinylglycolate and methyl‐4‐methoxy‐2‐hydroxybutanoate. An in situ NMR study together with deuterium labeling experiments and control experiments with intermediates allowed us to propose a detailed reaction pathway.

Selective nickel-catalyzed conversion of model and lignin-derived phenolic compounds to cyclohexanone-based polymer building blocks

Valorization of lignin is essential for the economics of future lignocellulosic biorefineries. Lignin is converted into novel polymer building blocks through four steps: catalytic hydroprocessing of softwood to form 4-alkylguaiacols, their conversion into 4-alkylcyclohexanols, followed by dehydrogenation to form cyclohexanones, and Baeyer-Villiger oxidation to give caprolactones. The formation of alkylated cyclohexanols is one of the most difficult steps in the series. A liquid-phase process in the presence of nickel on CeO2 or ZrO2 catalysts is demonstrated herein to give the highest cyclohexanol yields. The catalytic reaction with 4-alkylguaiacols follows two parallel pathways with comparable rates: 1) ring hydrogenation with the formation of the corresponding alkylated 2-methoxycyclohexanol, and 2) demethoxylation to form 4-alkylphenol. Although subsequent phenol to cyclohexanol conversion is fast, the rate is limited for the removal of the methoxy group from 2-methoxycyclohexanol. Overall, this last reaction is the rate-limiting step and requires a sufficient temperature (>250 °C) to overcome the energy barrier. Substrate reactivity (with respect to the type of alkyl chain) and details of the catalyst properties (nickel loading and nickel particle size) on the reaction rates are reported in detail for the Ni/CeO2 catalyst. The best Ni/CeO2 catalyst reaches 4-alkylcyclohexanol yields over 80 %, is even able to convert real softwood-derived guaiacol mixtures and can be reused in subsequent experiments. A proof of principle of the projected cascade conversion of lignocellulose feedstock entirely into caprolactone is demonstrated by using Cu/ZrO2 for the dehydrogenation step to produce the resultant cyclohexanones (≈80 %) and tin-containing beta zeolite to form 4-alkyl-ε-caprolactones in high yields, according to a Baeyer-Villiger-type oxidation with H2 O2 .

Immobilized Grubbs catalysts on mesoporous silica materials: insight into support characteristics and their impact on catalytic activity and product selectivity

Silica materials show a high ability to physisorb the 2nd generation Hoveyda–Grubbs catalyst (HG2) in organic solvents. The interaction with the complex, likely proceeding through hydrogen bonding, is particularly strong with surfaces rich in silanols, wherein geminal silanols show the highest affinity, and therefore mesoporous silicas are the supports of choice. As long as the silica material is sufficiently pure and free of cages, in which high HG2 concentrations can accumulate, the immobilization of HG2 occurs in a very stable manner. Despite the complex stability, exploration of HG2-loaded mesoporous silica supports in metathesis of cis-cyclooctene indicated significant diffusional and confinement effects, and therefore control of pore size, pore architecture and morphology in balance with the intrinsic catalytic activity is essential for catalyst design. As metathesis of cis-cyclooctene apparently proceeds through the initial formation of linear polymers, followed by backbiting forming cyclic oligomers, potential interference of mass transport and space restriction issues is not surprising. This study shows that the catalyst requirements are best met with the TUD-1 silica support (1.24 wt% HG2). Under such conditions, the heterogeneous catalyst performs as good as the homogeneous one, presenting a thermodynamic distribution of cyclic oligomers. The latter catalyst also showed high catalyst stability in a continuous fixed bed reactor, corresponding to a catalytic turnover number of 18 000. The catalytic rates and catalyst stability are lower when operating in a diffusional regime, therefore long reaction times are required to reach the thermodynamic product distribution. Water removal from the catalyst is also important, not because of HG2 stability reasons, but of lower reaction rates which were measured for hydrated samples, likely due to inhibition of cis-cyclooctene uptake in the pores. Mild removal of physisorbed water before immobilization is therefore advised, for instance by thermal treatments, but care has to be taken to keep the silanol density high for firm HG2 immobilization and also to avoid formation of reactive siloxanes, which chemically react with and destroy HG2. Surprisingly, reactive siloxane formation conditions strongly depend on the silica type, with TUD-1 being fairly sensitive to their formation. Finally, the best HG2-loaded TUD-1 catalyst is used successfully in a broad set of other metathesis reactions.

Compositional and structural feedstock requirements of a liquid phase cellulose-to-naphtha process in a carbon- and hydrogen-neutral biorefinery context

Processing raw (ligno)cellulosic feedstock into renewable light naphtha alkanes could lead to a gradual replacement of fossil feedstock for the production of chemicals, materials and fuels. The production of drop-in alkanes is a preferable short term strategy because of its practical implementation and integration in existing infrastructure and processes. A handful of promising cellulose-to-alkane biorefinery initiatives were recently reported, both processing in gas and liquid phase. This contribution presents a detailed study of the two-liquid phase hydrodeoxygenation of cellulose to n-hexane under relatively mild circumstances, proceeding through the recently communicated HMF route, in presence of a soluble acid and Ru/C metal catalyst. Two main points were addressed here: (i) the importance (or not) of the lignocellulose pretreatment and purification to the alkane yield, and (ii) the renewability of the consumed hydrogen in the process. A systematic study of the effect of cellulose purity, crystallinity, degree of polymerization and particle size (surface area) on the light naphtha yield was performed to tackle the first part. As fibrous cellulose with large particles was the most favourable feedstock with regard to alkane yield and as the presence of hemicellulose and lignin impurities had no effect on the cellulose-to-naphtha conversion, costly mechanical and purification steps are redundant to the process, in contrast to their notable importance in other cellulose valorisation processes (e.g. to glucose, sorbitol, isosorbide and acids). The second point regarding sustainable hydrogen supply is discussed in detail by calculating hydrogen and carbon mass and energy balances of the chemical conversions, assuming selected scenarios among others to recuperate the hydrogen by steam-reforming of waste streams (like gaseous C<6 hydrocarbons and aqueous polyol fractions) and (partial) aromatization of the C6 fraction into benzene. The study shows potential to integrate the liquid phase cellulose-to-naptha (LPCtoN) technology into a self-sufficient biorefinery, in which the chemical processes may run without consumption of external (non-renewable) hydrogen, carbon and energy, except for solar light.

A design of experiments approach for the development of plasma synthesized Sn-silicate catalysts for the isomerization of glucose to fructose

Abstract The use of non-equilibrium plasmas for the synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts is a field that has not been explored intensively. The main reasons for the recent increase of research activity in this field are related to the advantages that go with the technique of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The most principal of these advantages are the possibility to avoid the use of environmentally harmful solvents and the one-step nature of the procedure, making it very time and labor efficient. Non-equilibrium plasma technology, more in particular dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) technology, has been applied in this work for the synthesis of hybrid tin-silicate materials to be used as a heterogeneous catalyst in the isomerization of glucose into fructose. Atomizers, innovative devices which make it possible to inject nanosized precursor liquids into the plasma zone, are used instead of applying vapor phase techniques, where the amount of precursor is limited by the vapor pressure of the liquid. A design of experiments approach has been employed to investigate the effect of the plasma parameters, namely gas flow, frequency and power density, on the catalytic properties of the catalysts within a well-defined parameter field. It has been found that indeed these parameters, together with the molar ratio of Si/Sn, have an important influence on the activity, selectivity, and thus yield of the produced chemicals.

Conversion of biomass to chemicals: The catalytic role of zeolites

Abstract Since the mid-20th century zeolites have been successfully applied in oil refining and petrochemistry, owing to the strong Bronsted acidity of their protonated form in a porous crystalline matrix. Yet, concerns about the excessive use of fossil fuels force researchers to develop processes for the production of fuels and chemicals from CO2-neutral feedstocks such as biomass, considered as the alternative and sustainable source of carbon for the production of future bio-derived chemicals. With their success in refinery and petrochemistry, there is increasing interest in the use of zeolites in biomass processing, and this has already resulted in the gradual entrance of zeolites in the conversion of biomass feedstocks. Many interesting biomass conversions have been demonstrated today using the unique acid and redox chemistry of zeolites. However, there are disadvantages inherent to the biomass conversion that need to be overcome before zeolite chemistry can play as important a role in the conversion of biomass as in the conversion of fossil feedstocks. These disadvantages include unstable products and complex conversion network schemes, the stability of zeolites in often polar (condensed) media and active site accessibility of large biomolecules. This chapter presents the major organic compounds in biomass feedstock and provides an overview of the numerous chemical reactions with these chemicals using zeolites in the bulk and fine chemistry. Developments and future challenges in the area are summarized.

Mg-O-Si chemical bond formation in light burned magnesia and fumed silica mixture during mechanical activation

Mg-O-Si chemical bond formation in a light burned magnesia (MgO) and fumed silica (SiO2) mixture during mechanical activation was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Crystallinity and intrinsic structure changes of the starting mixture during high-energy milling were examined by XRD. The formation of new Mg-O-Si chemical bonds of the ground mixture was illustrated by the incorporation of Mg2+ in Si-O-Si linkages, the appearance of new resonance in the 29Si NMR spectrum and the decrease of the Si 2p binding energy. The formation of Mg-O-Si chemical bonds created during grinding partly contributed to the lowered temperature of complete forsterite formation from 1400 to 1100°C.