Highly efficient catalytic one‐pot biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomass derivatives.

Summary: In the perspective of a cleaner and better world, the research of eco‐responsible energy systems is an obligation. Biofuels are from the most interesting ways to reduce air pollution without major changes in nowadays vehicles technology. The paper deals with the transformation of lignocellulosic biomass derivative furfural acetone furfural into Jet and Diesel biofuel. The reaction was carried out upon a one pot process including ring opening, hydrogenation and deoxygenation. It was catalyzed by ruthenium supported on silica‐alumina catalysts which were prepared and fully characterized using X‐ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption/desorption, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis. Bare silica‐alumina oxides were only able to partially or totally hydrogenate aliphatic bonds almost without oxygen removing. Whereas supported ruthenium catalysts with different loadings did lead to the production of liquid hydrocarbons with a Turnover Frequency of 0.84 hour−1 and selectivity up to 80%. A general reaction pathway was proposed including all the reaction products identified by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]