Catalytic transformation of biomass derivatives to value-added chemicals and fuels in microreactors

Abstract

Biomass is an abundantly available renewable carbon source with potential to (partially) replace fossil feedstocks for the production of chemicals and fuels. Although chemical and catalytic aspects of biomass transformations have been extensively reported up to this date, dedicated reactor engineering concepts are not widely examined yet. Continuous flow microreactors have received much research attention as a process intensification tool and may offer advantages for the catalytic conversion of biomass derivatives to value-added chemicals and fuels. In this thesis, the potential of microreactor technology for biomass transformations was assessed by investigating several case studies in different multiphase reaction systems. These case studies include the gas-liquid oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde and benzoic acid using a homogeneous Co/Mn/Br catalyst (Chapter 2), as well as the oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-diformylfuran, 5-formylfurancarboxylic acid and 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid using the same catalytic system (Chapter 3). In Chapter 4, the gas-liquid-solid hydrogenation of levulinic acid to γ-valerolactone was performed in a packed bed microreactor with a heterogeneous Ru/C catalyst. Finally, in Chapter 5, the esterification of oleic acid and 1-butanol to biodiesel was executed in a biphasic system using a free Rhizomucor Miehei lipase as the enzymatic catalyst that is active on the liquid-liquid interface.