(720c) Catalytic Carbon-Carbon Bond Coupling for Producing Biolubricants from Mixed Organic Acids

Title: 107%;font-family:" arial narrow>Catalytic
Carbon-Carbon Bond Coupling for Producing Biolubricants from Mixed Organic Acids

Elnaz
Jamalzade,^1,2,3,4 Koorosh Kashkooli,^1,2
G. Peter van Walsum,^1,2 Thomas J. Schwartz^1,2,3

1.     
107%;font-family:" arial narrow>Department
of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME

2.     
107%;font-family:" arial narrow>Forest
Bioproducts Research Institute, University of Maine, Orono, ME

3.     
107%;font-family:" arial narrow>Frontier
Institute for Research in Sensor Technology, University of Maine, Orono, ME

4.     
107%;font-family:" arial narrow>Department
of Chemistry, University of Maine, Orono, ME

background:white"> " arial narrow>Biomass has received
considerable attention as a suitable feedstock to replace crude oil for
producing both energy and value-added compounds. Our primary research goal is
to produce value-added bioproducts from local woody biomass resources using a
combination of chemical and biological processing. The mixture of
medium-chain-length carboxylic acids obtained from methane-inhibited
open-culture anaerobic fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass is suitable for
further oligomerization using heterogeneous chemical catalysis. The target
product is a mixture of C₂₀ -C₃₀ molecules that
is suitable as nonlinear blendstocks to existing synthetic lubricants.

background:white"> " arial narrow>In this project, we have achieved more
than 86% conversion of a model feedstock (ethyl hexanoate) into a wide range of
C₇-C₁₉ molecules using bifunctional metal/mixed-oxide
catalysts. " arial narrow>In particular, we found that Pd/CeZrO_x is
highly selective and stable under reaction conditions. This catalyst achieves
more than 90% selectivity to C₁₁ or greater compounds.

background:white"> " arial narrow>We have used bulk methods (e.g., XRD)
to determine the atomic-scale structure and composition of the catalyst. The
XRD pattern of calcined 0.25% Pd/CeZrO_X showed mainly the CeO₂
fluorite-cubic structure, consistent with other reports font-family:" arial narrow>[1]^{, font-family:" arial narrow>[2], font-family:" arial narrow>[3], font-family:" arial narrow>[4]}.
Conversely, there were no reflections in the diffractogram that were
attributable to Pd, indicating the presence of small particles. Also, we used
surface analysis techniques (e.g. CO chemisorption, FTIR spectroscopy of
adsorbed pyridine and CO₂, BET, and TPD of NH₃ and CO₂)
to evaluate the chemical characteristics of the catalyst surface. This
information will ultimately be used for designing a highly optimized catalyst
for biolubricant production. 

background:white"> Description automatically generated" class="documentimage">

Figure 1. Chemistry described in
this project.

background:white"> " arial narrow> 

line-height:107%;font-family:" arial narrow>