The depleting petroleum reserves combined with increased energy demand has led to extensive research interests on the sustainable alternatives. Particularly, biomass conversion has been recognized as the most readily viable technology to produce biofuel concerning our reliance on liquid fuels for transportation. The interest in biofuel has also resulted in a greater abundance and reduced costs of biomass derived small oxygenates such as alcohol, ketone, and carboxylic acid, which is subject to further upgrading to produce valuable fuels or alternative chemicals. Current catalysts/strategies developed are still suffering either low activity or stability, it is still highly demanded to develop new catalysts and processes for efficient biomass conversion. We have developed a ZnxZryOz catalyst with balanced acid-base site pairs, on which small oxygenates such as ethanol, ketone, and carboxylic acid, can be converted into olefins via a cascade aldolization and self-deoxygenation pathway. In this presentation, we focus on the effect of the type of acidity on the catalyst performances. Specifically, the ZnxZryOz catalyst with and without co-existing Brønsted acid sites have been compared in the rate determining acetone-to-isobutene reactions. The possible roles of the Brønsted acid site and Lewis acid-base pair as well as its effect on the reaction pathway and deactivation of catalyst will be discussed.

Cascade aldolization and self-deoxygenation over ZnxZryOz mixed oxides

254th National Meeting (2017)

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