Abstract
Direct conversion of lignocellulose to fuels has been widely considered as one of most potential ways to produce renewable transportation fuels. In current study, 70.6% yield of gasoline-range hydrocarbons (C5 and C6 alkanes) was directly obtained from cellulose by using Ru/C and boron phosphate in aqueous medium. For conversion of cellulose to hydrocarbon, the main intermediates were sorbitol and its dehydration products, such as 1,4-, 1,5-, 2,5-sorbitans and isosorbide. The formation of isosorbide was undesirable due to its bis-tetrahydrofuranic moieties which are resistant to further hydrogenolysis to hydrocarbon. In current catalysis system, boron phosphate played a positive effect on formation of dehydration products from sorbitol. The hydrolysis process of boron phosphate in solution would probably delay both of the arrival of H+ with substrate and the increase of acidity in solution, which might reduce the formation rate of isosorbide. In addition, the coordination of boric acid with polyhydroxy compounds could also bring a barrier to the cyclodehydration of sorbitol to isosorbide. Therefore, in the presence of boron phosphate, the production of liquid hydrocarbon from cellulose can be significantly improved. Furthermore, the reaction pathway of cellulose transformation to C5/C6 alkanes via dehydration products of sorbitol was also proposed.
Published Version
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