PID2019-104953RB-I00 (BIO-BET)

Summary

Acronym: BIO-BET
Title: Biomass-based energy transition using heterogeneous catalysis (Bio-BET)
Reference: PID2019-104953RB-I00
Duration: From 01/06/2020 to 30/11/2023
Funding: MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033

Summary

In the context of climate change, two of the key targets included in The EU climate and energy framework for 2030 are at least 40% cuts in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 1990 levels and at least 32% share for renewable energy. Moreover, the long-term plan is climate neutral (zero-net emissions) Europe for 2050. In 2017 GHG emissions had already been reduced in the EU by 23%. However, they had risen in the transport sector which accounts for more than 25% of GHG emissions and 41% of NOx emissions. The current situation in Spain is that there are ca. 24 million diesel and petrol cars and only ca. 25,000 electric cars. Therefore, while car fleet is progressively converted into electric, the present proposal is aimed at using second generation biomass (thus not competing with food) and heterogenous catalysis to assist the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables. Thus, on the one hand biomass-derived chemicals (mainly glycerol derivatives) will be utilized as fuel additives in triple diesel/vegetable oil/additive mixtures and tested in diesel engines in a search for reduction of GHGs and NOx emissions. On the other hand, olive leaves will be utilized as biotemplates to obtain some novel photocatalysts to be tested in photo (electro)catalytic production of hydrogen from glycerol. This would render hydrogen production greener since it is currently obtained from fossil fuels mainly.

The proposal is based on previous results of our research group. Preliminary results on the above-mentioned triple mixtures (but using isopropanol as the additive) evidenced a reduction of the emission of pollutants of the order of 40%. It is possible that this approach results in diesel replacement percentages greater than 50%, rendering the process more cost-effective, in any case, more favorable than if conventional biodiesel was used. As regards hydrogen production via glycerol photoreforming using artificial olive leaves (AOL), Preliminary results showed a better catalytic performance under visible light of pure-titania AOL as compared to Evonik P25. Furthermore, valorization of olive mill by-products (leaves and stones) is particularly important in Andalusia, world leader in the production of olive oil (37% of the planet), ca. 250,000 families living on olive cultivation. International collaboration will allow us to explore some new catalyzed reactions and extend the scope of our research to (photo)electrocatalysis, a field of tremendous potential in the context of sustainable chemistry. The proposal will involve innovations in catalyst synthetic methods (e.g. metal-containing AOLs and AOL-semiconductor heterojunctions), catalytic routes (e.g. photocatalytic transformation of glycerol into solketal) and strategies to maximize yields to desired products (e.g. use of surfactants to form stable microemulsions and shift etherification, acetalization and esterification equilibria).

Finally, the proposal raised the interest of companies from the biofuel (Ecocombustibles de Andalucía) and olive oil (DAFISA and Olipe) sectors which is an evidence of the potential socio-economic impact of the research here suggested.

Figure1. Different processes covered in BIOBET proposal.

FQM162 Química Orgánica y Catálisis

Biomass-based energy transition using heterogeneous catalysis (Bio-BET)

Summary

Summary

Team

Team

Collaborators

International Collaborators

Publications

Publications

2023

2022

2021

2020

Press

Press

Final Balance

Final Balance