Recent Advances in Heterogeneous Catalyst Design for Biorefining

Abstract

Biorefineries are a new concept in chemical manufacturing in which naturally occurring, sustainable biomass resources such as forestry and agricultural waste are converted to diverse fuel and chemical product streams, akin to the processing of non-renewable fossil fuels by petrochemical refineries. Biomass derived from waste agricultural and forestry materials or non-food crops offers the most easily implemented and economical solutions for transportation fuels, and the only non-petroleum route to organic molecules for the manufacture of bulk, fine, and speciality chemicals necessary to secure the future needs of society. The successful implementation of biorefineries can address concerns over dwindling oil reserves, carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel sources and associated climate change, and will be underpinned by catalytic processes to facilitate the co-production of platform chemicals and biofuels. Catalysis is a central theme in sustainable chemistry, lowering energy and resource requirements while minimising waste production. In contrast to fossil-derived crude oil, which has low oxygen content, the high oxygen and water content of biomass feedstocks presents challenges for their utilisation and requires innovations in catalyst and process design for the selective conversion of these hydrophilic, bulky feedstocks into fuels or high-value chemicals. This article highlights how methods to control porosity, solid acid and base character, and surface hydrophobicity are essential components of a toolkit for the design of heterogeneous catalysts for biomass processing.