(700g) C5+ Ketones Synthesis from Ethanol over Mixed Metal Oxides

Currently, bioethanol accounts for almost 90% of the global biofuel production. Driven by the latest innovations in cellulosic biomass conversions and syngas fermentations, world ethanol production is expected to increase. The energy independence and security act requirement to produce 36 billion gallons/year biofuel by 2022 could drive the conversion technologies further to generate more ethanol well beyond the existing E15 blending wall requirement. Therefore, it is anticipated that the excess ethanol produced will become available as a platform molecule for the production of value-added chemicals and infrastructure compatible fuels in the near future and beyond. Recent work conducted at PNNL has demonstrated a novel pathway for selectively converting ethanol to C₅+ ketones with minimal loss of carbon using a low cost multi-functional mixed oxide catalyst with >80% yield to C₅+ ketones. The uniqueness of this chemistry is the condensation of acetone with acetaldehyde to form pentanone rather than the self-condensation between acetone(s). This helps to improve the final product yield and reduces the overall carbon loss. This presentation will discuss the uniqueness of the reaction mechanism and the catalyst development for the ethanol conversion to C₅+ ketones.