Role of Catalysis in Biofuels Production Process – A Review

Abstract

In the past few years, biofuels have emerged as renewable alternative to encounter global energy requirements in a greener way. Biomass is a sustainable cost-effective natural resource with wide diversity for conversion to biofuel such as biodiesel, biogas, bio-oil, biohydrogen, etc. via various chemical, thermal, or biochemical routes. Catalysis plays a pivotal role to convert biomass to biofuels, but conventional catalysts show a lot of short comings. To address these problems, a novel nanocatalysts approach is considered to be the most promising option. Nanocatalysts offer extremely high surface area, enhanced selectivity, better stability and cataly-tic activity at an atomic and molecular level in comparison to bulk catalysis. Here an insight about the limitation of traditional catalysts, the importance of nanocatalysts, various types of nanocatalysts, and their application in conversion of biomass to biofuel is given. It emphasizes the state-of-the-art developments in terms of catalysis and catalytic processes that are anticipated to play a crucial role in biomass conversion to fuel are emphasized and the chemistry behind nanocatalyst design for biofuel production and reduction of inhibitory effect is highlighted.

Combining Theoretical and Experimental Methods to Probe Confinement within Microporous Solid Acid Catalysts for Alcohol Dehydration

“…To fulfill future energy and chemical demands, we must investigate renewable, sustainable feedstocks. − A wide range of alternatives for these markets are being proposed with carbon utilization − and bio-based feedstocks being particularly promising. − Commercialization of the former is currently hampered by the associated costs of CO 2 capture, purification, and activation, though a significant body of work is devoted to rapidly overcoming this for future use. ,− Bio-based feedstocks contain a vast array of oxygenated products, with bioalcohols making a significant proportion of this, and offer a sustainable alcohol supply, though require water content and the presence of contaminants to be carefully addressed. − However, many other fermentation technologies and microbial methods exist that convert lignocellulose into alcohols, particularly ethanol and propanols . Currently, butanol is the preferred biofuel due to its high energy density and being less corrosive than ethanol. − Despite this preference, ethanol and propanol feedstocks offer an alternative pathway to produce short-chain olefins either through direct dehydration or more complex alcohol to hydrocarbon routes. − Specifically, ethene and propene are vital precursors for the polymer, pharmaceutical, and fuel industries.…”

An Approach towards the Conversion of Biomass Feedstocks into Biofuel Using a Zeolite Socony Mobil-5-Based Catalysts via the Hydrothermal Liquefaction Process: A Review

“…In thermochemical processes, catalysts can be used to increase yield, decrease solid waste production, and minimise reaction pressure and temperature [12]. Both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts can facilitate the conversion of biomass to biofuels via thermochemical processes.…”

“…Compared to homogeneous catalysts, heterogeneous catalysts are more desirable than homogenous catalysts to produce fuels from biomass. Additional advantages of heterogeneous catalysts include easy recyclability, non-toxic, not naturally corrode, economically viable, and not producing soap [12,15].…”