Transformación de biomasa a productos químicos de interés y carburantes mediante descarboxilación cetónica e hidrodesoxigenación

Abstract

The purpose of the present thesis was the use and valorisation of biomass platform molecules or their derivatives, applying the principles of sustainable chemistry. The reaction of ketonic decarboxylation of carboxylic acids was studied in the presence of metal oxides. ZrO2 was shown to be an excellent catalyst for the reaction, reasonably stable with time on stream and reusable. The reactivity of different substrates over ZrO2 was investigated with respect to the degree of substitution of the carbon in alpha position. 2-methylbutanoic acid, with one methyl replacing one of the alpha H atoms and, thereby, introducing a steric hindrance, showed slower reaction rates than pentanoic acid with two alpha Hα. It was concluded that for 2-methylbutanoic acid reactions occurred preferentially at the edges and the corners of the catalyst.