TITLE OF THE PROJECT: New sustainable catalytic strategies for obtaining innovative bio-based products from non-edible biomass

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT:

Currently, in the petrochemical industry, crude oil is fractionated and refined to produce various grades of liquid fuel, and hydrocarbon feedstocks are functionalized to produce intermediates and speciality chemicals. Biomass, bioenergy and chemical sectors have shown the increasing interest of developing companies where bioenergy/biofuels and other chemical/food bioproducts could be produced from non-edible renewable materials, the so-called biorefineries. These big goals require the attention of multidisciplinary research groups with expertise in different fields, in our coordinated project, chemical catalysis and biotechnology.

The aim of this project is to develop new sustainable catalytic strategies for obtaining innovative bio-based products from non-edible local biomass. Thus, almond shells from Tarragona area, provided by Unio Nuts, will be mainly used as biomass.

In a previous project, we achieved the catalytic obtention of (bio)fuel additives  (1,3-dioxane and 1,3-dioxalane) from hemicellulose using the glycerine obtained enzymatically by University of Lleida (UdL). In the current project we will mainly work with cellulose and lignin, the other two main polymers of lignocellulose in order to close the total exploitation of the biomass. Thus, the study will be focus on: a) check the DES prepared by UdL for fractionating biomass applying microwaves and ultrasounds; b) prepare novel micro-mesoporous carbon materials from different biomass fractions; c) Obtain 5-HMF by one pot catalytic obtention from glucose using bifunctional catalysts consisting of Lewis acid oxides dispersed on supports with controlled Brönsted acid properties; d) Obtain of fuel (bio)additives (5-EMFA and 2,5 BEMF) from 5-HMF using bimetallic catalysts supported on acidic supports; e) Obtain of liquid biofuels by hydrogenation/dehydrodeoxygenation/cracking of lignin, lignin model molecules, polyphenols mixtures (prepared by UdL), and directly from biomass using supported bimetallic catalysts. f) Check the use of lignin fractions as bituminose compounds for producing asphalts (collaboration with Engiquia company). Microwaves and ultrasounds will be applied for the preparation of catalysts and in some of the proposed reactions in order to decrease the synthesis time and temperature (energy saving), which can improve yield of green biobased conversion processes. We also will search more resistant to deactivation catalysts and the use of softer reaction conditions. The results of this project can be mainly transferred to fuel/energetic companies.

See the research developed by our partner, UdL, in this coordinated project .