(108a) Low Temperature Electrochemical Methods for the Conversion of Bio-Oils to Fuel Intermediates

Bio-oil is a complex mixture of hundreds of organic and inorganic compounds. The reactive species in bio-oil complicate storage, transportation, and downstream processing because of secondary reactions. As such, these oils require upgrading to be used in the conventional transportation fuel infrastructure. The current design case for upgrading of pyrolysis oils uses a complex three-stage process, where the reactors are operated at high temperatures and up to 2000 psi of hydrogen. In the past we used an electrolysis system to hydrogenate reactive functionalities to more stable compounds using protons and water as the hydrogen source. Starting with untreated bio-oils we were able to demonstrate a reduction in the carbonyl content and the phenolic content in a flow cell. In the current work we studied representative molecules to understand the role competition in ECR. Promising results have been observed where significant hydrogenation has been found. A description of work conducted and discussion of results will be presented.