Work

High production of furfural by flash pyrolysis of C6 sugars and lignocellulose by Pd-PdO/ZnSO4 catalyst

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: Furfural (C5H4O2) is an important platform chemical for the synthesis of next-generation bio-fuels. Herein, we report a novel and reusable heterogeneous catalyst, Pd-PdO/ZnSO4 with 1.1 mol% palladium (Pd), for the production of furfural by flash pyrolysis of lignocelluloses at 400 °C. For both dry and wet C6 cellulose and its monomers, the furfural yields reach 74–82 mol%, relative to 96 mol% from C5 xylan and 23–33 wt% from sugarcane bagasse and corncob. The catalyst has a well-defined structure and bifunctional property, comprising a ZnSO4 support for the dehydration and isomerization of glucose, and a local core-shell configuration for metallic Pd0 encapsulated by an oxide (PdO) layer. The PdO layer is active for the Grob fragmentation of formaldehyde (HCHO) from glucose, which is subsequently in-situ steam reformed into syn-gas (i.e. H2 and CO), whereas the Pd0 core is active in promoting the last dehydration step for the formation of furfural.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37250-0

Authors: Qiaoqiao Zhou, Jinxing Gu, Jingwei Wang, Anthony De Girolamo, Sasha Yang, Lian Zhang

Institution: Monash University

Language: English

Topic: Catalysis for Biomass Conversion

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Affordable and clean energy, Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $6,290