Aromatic rich lignocellulosic materials are an attractive target for sustainably meeting the high demand for platform chemicals currently sourced almost exclusively from petroleum.  However, the high degree of heterogeneity of this macromolecule pose a major challenge in developing sustainable catalysts that can cleanly and competitively accomplish this goal. Hydrotalcite derived porous metal oxide (PMO) catalysts are prepared from earth abundant materials and are an affective catalyst for reductive lignocellulose disassembly. Prior work has shown that copper doped PMOs are capable of producing a complex mixture with reduced oxygen of fuel-additive grade alcohols without the production of char. This talk will emphasize our endeavors to understand this catalyst and enhance its selectivity. We will discuss revelations in the structure and reactivities of the active catalyst and the implications for catalyst modification. These studies are supported by the Center for the Sustainable Use of Renewable Feedstocks (CenSURF), a National Science Foundation CCI (CHE-1240194).<br/>

Studies of the reductive disassembly of lignocellulose to value-added chemicals

249th National Meeting (2015)

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