Madhesan Balakrishnan

Etherification and reductive etherification of 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural: 5-(alkoxymethyl)furfurals and 2,5-bis(alkoxymethyl)furans as potential bio-diesel candidates

A low energy intensive process for the production of diesel fuel has been delineated from both 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) and its sugar precursor D-(–)-fructose. Alcoholic solutions of the above produced a mixture of potential bio-diesel candidates namely, 5-(alkoxymethyl)furfural, 5-(alkoxymethyl)furfural dialkylacetal, and alkyl levulinate, in the presence of solid acid catalysts. Sulfonic acid functionalized resins, Amberlyst-15 and Dowex DR2030 showed exceptional reactivity and selectivity for these reactions. Production of another potential diesel candidate 2,5-bis(alkoxymethyl)furan has been optimized through both sequential reduction/etherification and one-pot reductive etherification processes. During the metal catalyzed hydrogenation of HMF, platinum showed an exclusive selectivity for the reduction of the carbonyl functionality of HMF. Both Pt and Pt/Sn supported on Al2O3 catalysts have been optimized for the production of 2,5-bis(alkoxymethyl)furan from HMF. The reaction mechanisms of etherification and reductive etherification have been discussed in detail on the basis of intermediates observed during these processes.

Novel pathways for fuels and lubricants from biomass optimized using life-cycle greenhouse gas assessment

Significance The development of renewable liquid fuels and bioproducts is critical to reducing global reliance on petroleum and mitigating climate change, particularly for applications where few low-carbon alternatives exist. We combine chemical catalysis with life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) modeling to create a new platform for producing biobased aviation fuel and automotive lubricant base oils. The recyclable catalysts we developed are capable of converting sugar and biomass-derived alkyl methyl ketones into cyclic enones via condensation reactions. These products can subsequently be hydrodeoxygenated to create a new class of aviation fuel and lubricant candidates with superior cold flow properties, density, and viscosity that substantially reduce GHG emissions relative to conventional petroleum. Decarbonizing the transportation sector is critical to achieving global climate change mitigation. Although biofuels will play an important role in conventional gasoline and diesel applications, bioderived solutions are particularly important in jet fuels and lubricants, for which no other viable renewable alternatives exist. Producing compounds for jet fuel and lubricant base oil applications often requires upgrading fermentation products, such as alcohols and ketones, to reach the appropriate molecular-weight range. Ketones possess both electrophilic and nucleophilic functionality, which allows them to be used as building blocks similar to alkenes and aromatics in a petroleum refining complex. Here, we develop a method for selectively upgrading biomass-derived alkyl methyl ketones with >95% yields into trimer condensates, which can then be hydrodeoxygenated in near-quantitative yields to give a new class of cycloalkane compounds. The basic chemistry developed here can be tailored for aviation fuels as well as lubricants by changing the production strategy. We also demonstrate that a sugarcane biorefinery could use natural synergies between various routes to produce a mixture of lubricant base oils and jet fuels that achieve net life-cycle greenhouse gas savings of up to 80%.

Highly Selective Condensation of Biomass‐Derived Methyl Ketones as a Source of Aviation Fuel

Aviation fuel (i.e., jet fuel) requires a mixture of C9 -C16 hydrocarbons having both a high energy density and a low freezing point. While jet fuel is currently produced from petroleum, increasing concern with the release of CO2 into the atmosphere from the combustion of petroleum-based fuels has led to policy changes mandating the inclusion of biomass-based fuels into the fuel pool. Here we report a novel way to produce a mixture of branched cyclohexane derivatives in very high yield (>94 %) that match or exceed many required properties of jet fuel. As starting materials, we use a mixture of n-alkyl methyl ketones and their derivatives obtained from biomass. These synthons are condensed into trimers via base-catalyzed aldol condensation and Michael addition. Hydrodeoxygenation of these products yields mixtures of C12 -C21 branched, cyclic alkanes. Using models for predicting the carbon number distribution obtained from a mixture of n-alkyl methyl ketones and for predicting the boiling point distribution of the final mixture of cyclic alkanes, we show that it is possible to define the mixture of synthons that will closely reproduce the distillation curve of traditional jet fuel.

Syntheses of Biodiesel Precursors: Sulfonic Acid Catalysts for Condensation of Biomass‐Derived Platform Molecules

Synthesis of transportation fuel from lignocellulosic biomass is an attractive solution to the green alternative-energy problem. The production of biodiesel, in particular, involves the process of upgrading biomass-derived small molecules to diesel precursors containing a specific carbon range (C11 -C23). Herein, a carbon-upgrading process utilizing an acid-catalyzed condensation of furanic platform molecules from biomass is described. Various types of sulfonic acid catalysts have been evaluated for this process, including biphasic and solid supported catalysts. A silica-bound alkyl sulfonic acid catalyst has been developed for promoting carbon-carbon bond formation of biomass-derived carbonyl compounds with 2-methylfuran. This hydrophobic solid acid catalyst exhibits activity and selectivity that are comparable to those of a soluble acid catalyst. The catalyst can be readily recovered and recycled, possesses appreciable hydrolytic stability in the presence of water, and retains its acidity over multiple reaction cycles. Application of this catalyst to biomass-derived platform molecules led to the synthesis of a variety of furanic compounds, which are potential biodiesel precursors.

Selective Hydrogenation of Furan-Containing Condensation Products as a Source of Biomass-Derived Diesel Additives

In this study, we demonstrate that while the energy density and lubricity of the C15 and C16 products of furan condensation of biomass-derived aldehydes with 2-methylfuran are consistent with requirements for diesel, these products do not meet specifications for cetane number and pour point due to their aromatic furan rings. However, a novel class of products that fully meet or exceed most specifications for diesel can be produced by converting the furan rings in these compounds to cyclic ether moieties. Full hydrodeoxygenation of furan condensation products to alkanes would require 55-60% higher hydrogen demand, starting from biomass, compared to the products of furan ring saturation, providing an additional incentive to support the saturated products. We also report here on a tunable class of catalysts that contain Pd nanoparticles supported on ionic liquid-modified SiO2 that can achieve complete saturation of the furan rings in yields of 95% without opening these rings.

Upgrading Lignocellulosic Products to Drop‐In Biofuels via Dehydrogenative Cross‐Coupling and Hydrodeoxygenation Sequence

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.

Production of renewable lubricants via self-condensation of methyl ketones

Self-condensation of biomass-derived methyl ketones catalyzed by solid bases or acids produces corresponding cyclic trimers exclusively in excellent yields. Condensates containing 24–45 carbon atoms are shown to be suitable lubricant base-oils after the removal of residual unsaturation and oxygen. Properties of cycloalkanes produced from biomass are very similar to those of conventional lubricant base-oils. The process reported here offers an environmentally benign alternative to the current non-selective production of lubricant base-oils from α-olefins, and avoids the production of corrosive waste products.

Correction: Novel pathways for fuels and lubricants from biomass optimized using life-cycle greenhouse gas assessment (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2015) 112, 25 (7645-7649) DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1508274112)

Author(s): Balakrishnan, M; Sacia, ER; Sreekumar, S; Gunbas, G; Gokhale, AA; Scown, CD; Toste, FD; Bell, AT