Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nadim Ayoub, Joumana Toufaily, Erwann Guenin, Gerald Enderlin
Summary: Lignocellulosic feedstocks can be used to generate biofuels and biochemicals, but methods using metal catalysts have some issues. This Review summarizes catalytic methods using metal and metal-free catalysts for oxidation reactions and demonstrates the potential of metal-free catalysts.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xin Huang, Anbang Xu, Xinyuan Bu, Yong Huang, Jingyu Ran
Summary: This study reported a biphasic system for efficient conversion of levoglucosenone to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and levulinic acid. By optimizing reaction conditions and catalyst selection, the selectivity and yield of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural were successfully increased.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Grigorios Dedes, Anthi Karnaouri, Asimina A. Marianou, Konstantinos G. Kalogiannis, Chrysoula M. Michailof, Angelos A. Lappas, Evangelos Topakas
Summary: This study optimized the production of fructose from beechwood biomass hydrolysate and the subsequent conversion to HMF using homogeneous catalysis. The results showed that formic acid catalyst was the most effective for the dehydration of fructose to HMF, achieving high sugar conversion rates and HMF yields.
BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ricarda Kloth, Dmitry V. Vasilyev, Karl J. J. Mayrhofer, Ioannis Katsounaros
Summary: The study investigated the electrochemical conversion of HMF to BHH on different carbon electrodes, showing differences in product selectivity. It was found that the initial HMF concentration has an impact on reaction efficiency and product selectivity.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaoyang Yue, Yves Queneau
Summary: This Review discusses the use of HMF, furfural, and furan as platforms for designing alternative surfactants, highlighting the various methods for grafting polar and non-polar appendages and exploiting their specific chemical reactivity. The surfactants sector will benefit from these alternatives, enabling increased renewable carbon content and structural innovation.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Olja Simoska, Zayn Rhodes, Samali Weliwatte, Jaime R. Cabrera-Pardo, Erin M. Gaffney, Koun Lim, Shelley D. Minteer
Summary: The development of electrochemical catalytic conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) has gained attention recently, but is still in its early stages with limited practical applications due to low catalytic activity and product selectivity. Understanding catalytic processes and designing electrocatalysts are crucial for achieving selective and complete conversion.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jinsheng Wu, Ruinan Yang, Shiqiang Zhao, Wei Chen, Zhiyong Chen, Chun Chang, Haoran Wu
Summary: A mild catalytic strategy was developed to prepare high-purity 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from fructose using Amberlyst-15 catalyst in a water-methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) biphasic system. The catalytic system was optimized, and a 46.6% yield of HMF was obtained under the optimal conditions of 80 wt% Amberlyst-15 catalyst, MIBK to H2O mass ratio of 10, and a reaction time of 7 h. Furthermore, a simple and efficient purification strategy resulted in a high purity (99.0%) and recovery rate (65.5%) of HMF. This work provides an efficient catalytic strategy for producing high-purity HMF from fructose under atmospheric pressure and lower temperature.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tana Tana, Pengfei Han, Aidan J. Brock, Xin Mao, Sarina Sarina, Eric R. Waclawik, Aijun Du, Steven E. Bottle, Huai-Yong Zhu
Summary: 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a valuable platform chemical for sustainable fine-chemical and pharmaceutical industry based on biomass. The complex of fulvic acid with Al3+ ions exhibits solar absorption and photocatalytic activity for glucose conversion to HMF in one-pot reaction, offering prospects for new green photocatalytic systems. This mechanism creates the possibility of synthesizing a range of substances that have not previously been considered.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lin Dong, Jordi Morales-Vidal, Lili Mu, Licheng Li, Nuria Lopez, Javier Perez-Ramirez, Zupeng Chen
Summary: In this study, an efficient selective synthesis of 5-Methylfurfural (MF) from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) was achieved using an anatase-supported gold catalyst (Au/a-TiO2). The C-O bond was maintained during the hydrogenolysis of HMF, resulting in a high yield of 83.1% for MF. The superior performance of Au/a-TiO2 can be attributed to the high concentration of oxygen vacancies in the support, which limits H access, reduces reactant adsorption, and prevents condensation. This research highlights a new approach for the selective transformation of renewable compounds into high-value-added chemicals.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Siripit Songtawee, Bunyarat Rungtaweevoranit, Chalida Klaysom, Kajornsak Faungnawakij
Summary: Phosphated titanium dioxide has been shown to be an efficient catalyst for the conversion of glucose to HMF, achieving a 72% yield and 83% selectivity. By tuning the solvent system, controlling the number of acid sites, and modifying the reaction setup, the catalyst's performance can be enhanced. The addition of phosphate groups onto the surface of TiO2 significantly improves HMF yield and selectivity when the optimal ratio of Bronsted and Lewis acid sites is reached.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Yingjie Gao, Lei Ge, Haolan Xu, Kenneth Davey, Yao Zheng, Shi-Zhang Qiao
Summary: Due to the depletion of fossil fuel reserves and the impact of climate change, there is a need for alternative eco-friendly production of high-value chemicals and renewables. This review focuses on the electrocatalytic refinery of 5-Hydroxymethylfural (HMF), a versatile precursor that can be converted to valuable chemical products via electrolysis. The review discusses the electroreduction and electro-oxidation pathways of HMF, advances in HMF electroreduction reaction (HRR) and HMF electro-oxidation reaction (HOR), design of electrocatalysts, reaction pathways and mechanisms, and the impact of reaction parameters. The findings have implications for the design of eco-friendly chemistry and fine chemical production.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dalong Qu, Shuijian He, Lianhua Chen, Yifan Ye, Qingmei Ge, Hang Cong, Nan Jiang, Yang Ha
Summary: This review provides an overview of coupled electrocatalytic HMF hydrogenation or hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with HMF oxidation, as well as the associated electrocatalysts. The article introduces the electrocatalytic upgrading of HMF, discusses recent advances and challenges in paired electrolysis, with a focus on the integration of HMF electrohydrogenation with HMF electrooxidation. The review concludes with a perspective on a future sustainable biomass upgrading community based on electrocatalysis.
FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhiwei Chen, Hongru Zhou, Fanhao Kong, Min Wang
Summary: In this study, a novel method of selective oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) using a piezocatalyst was proposed. The Pt decorated hydroxyapatite (HAP) showed outstanding piezocatalytic activity, achieving high conversion and yield of value-added chemicals from biomass. This work provides a new approach for biomass conversion using piezocatalysis.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ting Su, Deyang Zhao, Yantao Wang, Hongying Lu, Rajender S. Varma, Christophe Len
Summary: This Minireview discusses recent advancements in the catalytic oxidation of HMF to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and other intermediates using noble, non-noble, and metal-free systems deploying emerging protocols.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xin Cai, Zhichao Wang, Yueyuan Ye, Duo Wang, Zhaoxia Zhang, Zhifeng Zheng, Yunquan Liu, Shuirong Li
Summary: The production of 5-hydroxymethyfurfural from chitin biomass is a crucial green chemical method that addresses environmental issues such as crustacean waste disposal and fossil resource overuse. Suitable solvent systems and catalyst design play key roles in enhancing conversion efficiency and selectivity. Future research will focus on developing catalyst-solvent combinations to improve solubility and conversion rates, especially utilizing cost-effective and readily available solvents.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Oscar Oyola-Rivera, Jiayue He, George W. Huber, James A. Dumesic, Nelson Cardona-Martinez
Summary: This study investigated the catalytic conversion of cellulose to levoglucosenone (LGO) using a combination of dilute sulfuric acid and propylsulfonic acid functionalized SBA-15 (PS-SBA-15) in tetrahydrofuran (THF). The addition of small amounts of liquid acid catalyst such as sulfuric acid was found to complement the use of solid acid catalyst for cellulose conversion, leading to an increase in LGO yield. The main role of the solid Bronsted acid catalyst was to dehydrate the generated levoglucosan (LGA) into LGO, demonstrating a more environmentally friendly approach for LGO production.
BIOMASS & BIOENERGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Elise B. Gilcher, Hochan Chang, George W. Huber, James A. Dumesic
Summary: The hydrogenation of a biomass-derived platform molecule, 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF)-acetone-HMF (HAH), was studied over Pd, Ru, and Cu based catalysts at temperatures ranging from 313-393 K. Different catalysts exhibited varying levels of selectivity and reaction pathways for hydrogenation. Kinetic modeling was used to quantify the behavior of the hydrogenation reactions. This study provides insights for optimizing catalyst selection and reaction conditions to improve the yield of hydrogenation products.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Raka G. Dastidar, Peter H. Galebach, Michael P. Lanci, Chengrong Wang, Yi Du, George W. Huber
Summary: Cellulose upgrading with methanol to produce fuel-range alcohols involves complex reactions, such as C-C coupling, C-O scission, and C-C scission, as observed in the conversion of 1,2-propanediol and methanol over CuMgAlOx catalyst. The selectivity of different products is influenced by the reaction orders with respect to hydrogen, 1,2-propanediol, and methanol, as well as the apparent activation energies for various pathways. The rate determining step in C-C coupling is found to be associated with the nucleophilic attack by 1,2-propanediol, and the co-feeding of formaldehyde affects the rates of C-C coupling, direct C-C scission, and esterification reactions.
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jean Marcel R. Gallo, Yomaira J. Pagan-Torres, George W. Huber
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Paolo A. Cuello-Penaloza, Javier Chavarrio-Canas, Yi Du, Michael P. Lanci, Derek A. Maedke, James A. Dumesic, George W. Huber
Summary: In this study, we investigated the ethanol oligomerization process to higher alcohols and other oxygenates using a 0.3 wt. %Cu/Mg2.9AlO catalyst. We found that the selectivity towards diesel fuel precursor compounds increased with conversion until reaching a plateau at an ethanol conversion of around 70%. Alcohol selectivity followed the Schultz-Flory distribution at all studied conversions. We also observed that larger sized alcohols were mainly formed through chain-growth mechanisms, while higher esters were formed through a series reaction mechanism involving alcohols and aldehydes.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Feng Cheng, Sarah Liu, Steven D. Karlen, Hoon Kim, Fachuang Lu, John Ralph, Leida Vazquez M. Ramos, George W. Huber, James A. Dumesic
Summary: This paper describes an approach for producing high quality and high quantity of lignin through studying the structural change of lignin during treatment of poplar wood in gamma-valerolactone (GVL). The results show that multiple-step cycling of cosolvent-assisted hydrolysis can help preserve more of the virgin ether-bond structures of GVL-extracted poplar lignin.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Aurora del Carmen Munguia-Lopez, Dilara Goreke, Kevin L. Sanchez-Rivera, Horacio A. Aguirre-Villegas, Styliani Avraamidou, George W. Huber, Victor M. Zavala
Summary: Food packaging often uses multilayer plastic films to achieve specific food protection goals. However, the production of these films generates large amounts of unrecyclable plastic waste. A proposed technology called STRAP enables the separation and recycling of the polymers in the films. This study evaluates the environmental benefits of STRAP compared to virgin film production using life cycle assessment methods.
Correction
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Houqian Li, Horacio A. Aguirre-Villegas, Robert D. Allen, Xianglan Bai, Craig H. Benson, Gregg T. Beckham, Sabrina L. Bradshaw, Jessica L. Brown, Robert C. Brown, Victor S. Cecon, Julia B. Curley, Greg W. Curtzwiler, Son Dong, Soumika Gaddameedi, John E. Estela-Garcia, Ive Hermans, Min Soo Kim, Jiaze Ma, Lesli O. Mark, Manos Mavrikakis, Olumide O. Olafasakin, Tim A. Osswald, Konstantinos G. Papanikolaou, Harish Radhakrishnan, Marco Antonio Sanchez Castillo, Kevin L. Sanchez-Rivera, Khairun N. Tumu, Reid C. Van Lehn, Keith L. Vorst, Mark M. Wright, Jiayang Wu, Victor M. Zavala, Panzheng Zhou, George W. Huber
Summary: This article mainly discusses the chemical aspects, technology status, and challenges of expanding plastics recycling technologies.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Juan-Manuel Restrepo-Florez, Paolo Cuello-Penaloza, Emmanuel Canales, Dustin Witkowski, David A. Rothamer, George W. Huber, Christos T. Maravelias
Summary: This article introduces a sustainable approach of catalytic upgrading ethanol into diesel fuel through Guerbet coupling and etherification reactions, showing experimentally the feasibility of producing diesel fuel with superior properties. The use of lignocellulosic ethanol may lead to more than 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and in some instances, carbon neutral diesel fuel production is possible.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY & FUELS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Houqian Li, Horacio A. Aguirre-Villegas, Robert D. Allen, Xianglan Bai, Craig H. Benson, Gregg T. Beckham, Sabrina L. Bradshaw, Jessica L. Brown, Robert C. Brown, Victor S. Cecon, Julia B. Curley, Greg W. Curtzwiler, Son Dong, Soumika Gaddameedi, John E. Garcia, Ive Hermans, Min Soo Kim, Jiaze Ma, Lesli O. Mark, Manos Mavrikakis, Olumide O. Olafasakin, Tim A. Osswald, Konstantinos G. Papanikolaou, Harish Radhakrishnan, Marco Antonio Sanchez Castillo, Kevin L. Sanchez-Rivera, Khairun N. Tumu, Reid C. Van Lehn, Keith L. Vorst, Mark M. Wright, Jiayang Wu, Victor M. Zavala, Panzheng Zhou, George W. Huber
Summary: Globally, less than 10% of plastics are recycled, with new technologies for chemical recycling offering hope. Chemists and chemical engineers need to strengthen their understanding of these technologies, while options for managing plastic waste are explored.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Elise B. Gilcher, Hochan Chang, Michael Rebarchik, George W. Huber, James A. Dumesic
Summary: In this study, lumped reaction schemes were developed to investigate the hydrogenation of HAH over different catalysts. The addition of water was found to have different effects on the hydrogenation reactions of HAH over Pd, Ru, and Cu catalysts, altering the selectivity and yield of the products while providing a new pathway to increase the production rates of specific products.
Correction
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Houqian Li, Horacio A. Aguirre-Villegas, Robert D. Allen, Xianglan Bai, Craig H. Benson, Gregg T. Beckham, Sabrina L. Bradshaw, Jessica L. Brown, Robert C. Brown, Victor S. Cecon, Julia B. Curley, Greg W. Curtzwiler, Son Dong, Soumika Gaddameedi, John E. Estela-Garcia, Ive Hermans, Min Soo Kim, Jiaze Ma, Lesli O. Mark, Manos Mavrikakis, Olumide O. Olafasakin, Tim A. Osswald, Konstantinos G. Papanikolaou, Harish Radhakrishnan, Marco Antonio Sanchez Castillo, Kevin L. Sanchez-Rivera, Khairun N. Tumu, Reid C. Van Lehn, Keith L. Vorst, Mark M. Wright, Jiayang Wu, Victor M. Zavala, Panzheng Zhou, George W. Huber
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Raka G. Dastidar, Min Soo Kim, Panzheng Zhou, Zaneta Luo, Changxia Shi, Kevin J. Barnett, Daniel J. McClelland, Eugene Y. -X. Chen, Reid C. Van Lehn, George W. Huber
Summary: This study successfully synthesized THP with high selectivity and yield. THP exhibited excellent thermal, chemical, and peroxidative stability, making it a potential alternative solvent to THF. The minimum selling price of THP was competitive with the market price of THF. Simulation studies showed that THP could be used for plastic dissolution, especially for common plastics.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mark J. Lindsay, Michael S. Molitor, Tejas B. Goculdas, Jikai Zhao, Jarryd R. Featherman, Mengting Li, James B. Miller, Styliana Avraamidou, Scott A. Rankin, James A. Dumesic, George W. Huber
Summary: Greek yogurt acid whey is a byproduct with unsustainable disposal methods. A new process has been developed to produce multiple products from it, with positive economic and environmental impacts.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Alvin Jonathan, Raka G. Dastidar, Chengrong Wang, James A. Dumesic, George W. Huber
Summary: The oligomerization activity of a carbon-supported cobalt oxide catalyst is nearly double when supported on a less oxidized carbon, and this difference is unrelated to the cobalt phase. The oxygen content and oxidized surface functional groups impact the activity, and increasing the support particle size has minimal effect on selectivities. A carbon support with fewer impurities plays a crucial role in enhancing oligomerization activity.
CATALYSIS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
