Issue 10, 2025

Bifunctional Rh/Al-SBA-15 catalysed cascade hydroformylation and hydroxyalkylation of alkenes to fuel precursors

Abstract

Decarbonisation of hard-to-abate liquid transport fuels, notably used in the aviation and shipping sectors, requires new catalytic routes to valorise waste feedstocks. Here we report a bifunctional Rh/Al-SBA-15 catalyst for the one-pot, two step cascade hydroformylation of 1-alkenes with CO/H2 to form linear and branched aldehydes, and their subsequent hydroxyalkylation (HAA) with 2-methylfuran to form oxygenated jet fuel precursors. A strong synergy between Rh and Al-SBA-15 is observed for hydroformylation, with the bifunctional catalyst significantly more active than Rh/SBA-15 for the first step of the cascade. Superior yields of desired HAA products are observed over Rh/Al-SBA-15 relative to a physical mixture of Rh/SBA-15 and Al-SBA-15. Under syngas (CO/H2) at 30 bar and 80 °C, alkenes undergo Rh catalysed hydroformylation to aldehydes, and in a subsequent step under N2, HAA of aldehydes over the solid acid sites of Al-SBA-15 gives an overall ∼60% yield of fuel range precursors.

Graphical abstract: Bifunctional Rh/Al-SBA-15 catalysed cascade hydroformylation and hydroxyalkylation of alkenes to fuel precursors

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 Feb 2025
Accepted
19 Mar 2025
First published
25 Mar 2025

Catal. Sci. Technol., 2025,15, 3149-3156

Bifunctional Rh/Al-SBA-15 catalysed cascade hydroformylation and hydroxyalkylation of alkenes to fuel precursors

K. Ravi, H. Kachgunde, V. D. B. C. Dasireddy, J. Mensah, A. F. Lee, A. V. Biradar and K. Wilson, Catal. Sci. Technol., 2025, 15, 3149 DOI: 10.1039/D5CY00171D

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