Issue 1, 2014

Upgrading of lignin-derived bio-oils by catalytic hydrodeoxygenation

Abstract

The incentive for use of renewable resources to replace fossil sources is motivating extensive research on new and alternative fuels derived from biomass. Bio-oils derived from cellulosic biomass offer the prospect of becoming a major feedstock for production of fuels and chemicals, and lignin is a plentiful, underutilized component of cellulosic biomass. Lignin conversion requires depolymerization and removal of oxygen. Likely processes for lignin conversion involve depolymerization (e.g., by pyrolysis) and catalytic upgrading of the resultant bio-oils. A major goal of the upgrading is catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO), which involves reactions with hydrogen that produce hydrocarbons and water. The aim of this review is to present a critical introduction to HDO chemistry focused on compounds derived from lignin, including a summary of HDO reactions and those that accompany them, with a comparison of catalysts addressing their activities, selectivities, and stabilities. The reactions are evaluated in terms of reaction pathways of compounds representative of lignin-derived bio-oils, including anisole, guaiacol, and phenol. The review includes recommendations for further research and an attempt to place HDO in a context of options for renewable fuels and chemicals, but it does not provide an economic assessment.

Graphical abstract: Upgrading of lignin-derived bio-oils by catalytic hydrodeoxygenation

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
13 Sep 2013
Accepted
08 Nov 2013
First published
11 Nov 2013

Energy Environ. Sci., 2014,7, 103-129

Upgrading of lignin-derived bio-oils by catalytic hydrodeoxygenation

M. Saidi, F. Samimi, D. Karimipourfard, T. Nimmanwudipong, B. C. Gates and M. R. Rahimpour, Energy Environ. Sci., 2014, 7, 103 DOI: 10.1039/C3EE43081B

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements