Abstract
Increasing demand for sustainable chemicals and fuels has pushed academia and industry to search for alternative feedstocks replacing crude oil in traditional refineries. As a result, an immense academic attention has focused on the valorisation of biomass (components) and derived intermediates to generate valuable platform chemicals and fuels. Zeolite catalysis plays a distinct role in many of these biomass conversion routes. This contribution emphasizes the progress and potential in zeolite catalysed biomass conversions and relates these to concepts established in existing petrochemical processes. The application of zeolites, equipped with a variety of active sites, in Brønsted acid, Lewis acid, or multifunctional catalysed reactions is discussed and generalised to provide a comprehensive overview. In addition, the feedstock shift from crude oil to biomass involves new challenges in developing fields, like mesoporosity and pore interconnectivity of zeolites and stability of zeolites in liquid phase. Finally, the future challenges and perspectives of zeolites in the processing of biomass conversion are discussed.
Highlights
The limited supply of cheap petroleum has renewed the interest towards more sustainable energy sources like wind, solar and hydro technology
He did his master thesis at the Center for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, where he explored the stability of ultra-stable zeolite Y (USY) zeolites in hot liquid water
Chemocatalytic conversions of biomass are mostly liquid phase processes which is a major difference with the gas phase processes in crude oil refining and upgrading of pyrolysis products
Summary
Potential and challenges of zeolite chemistry in the catalytic conversion of biomass Thijs Ennaert, Joost Van Aelst, Jan Dijkmans, Rik De Clercq, Wouter Schutyser, Michiel Dusselier, Danny Verboekend* and Bert F. Increasing demand for sustainable chemicals and fuels has pushed academia and industry to search for alternative feedstocks replacing crude oil in traditional refineries. Zeolite catalysis plays a distinct role in many of these biomass conversion routes. This contribution emphasizes the progress and potential in zeolite catalysed biomass conversions and relates these to concepts established in existing petrochemical processes. The feedstock shift from crude oil to biomass involves new challenges in developing fields, like mesoporosity and pore interconnectivity of zeolites and stability of zeolites in liquid phase. The future challenges and perspectives of zeolites in the processing of biomass conversion are discussed
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