Support–Activity Relationship in Heterogeneous Catalysis for Biomass Valorization and Fine-Chemicals Production

Abstract

Heterogeneous catalysts are progressively expanding their field of application, from high-throughput reactions for traditional industrial chemistry with production volumes reaching millions of tons per year, a sector in which they are key players, to more niche applications for the production of fine chemicals. These novel applications require a progressive utilization reduction of fossil feedstocks, in favor of renewable ones. Biomasses are the most accessible source of organic precursors, having as advantage their low cost and even distribution across the globe. Unfortunately, they are intrinsically inhomogeneous in nature and their efficient exploitation requires novel catalysts. In this process, an accurate design of the active phase performing the reaction is important; nevertheless, we are often neglecting the importance of the support in guaranteeing stable performances and improving catalytic activity. This review has the goal of gathering and highlighting the cases in which the supports (either derived or not from biomass wastes) share the worth of performing the catalysis with the active phase, for those reactions involving the synthesis of fine chemicals starting from biomasses as feedstocks.

Design of Bifunctional Nanocatalysts Based on Zeolites for Biomass Processing

“…The other important group of products that can be acquired from biomass is biofuels and value-added chemicals that could be obtained via catalytic reactions from biomass [ 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 ]. For years heterogenous catalysts based on different metals and supports have been involved in these reactions [ 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 ].…”

Colloid template route for the synthesis of polyaniline-Pd nanocomposite and catalytic activity study for Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction in aqueous media

“…Heterogeneous catalysis as a scientific field have developed immensely due to the advent of nanotechnology and the new nanocatalysts, especially for different organic reactions is always demanding [1,2]. A plethora of literature is available for the open challenge in Suzuki-Miyaura Carbon-carbon coupling reactions such as the need to develop nanocatalysts that are active in aqouse media [3,4].…”

Design of Bifunctional Nanocatalysts for Biomass Processing

“…The other important group of products which can be acquired from biomass is biofuels and value-added chemicals which could be obtained via catalytic reactions either directly or indirectly (via intermediate products) from biomass [41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50]. For years heterogenous catalysts based on different metals and supports have been involved in these reactions [51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62].…”