Development of catalysts for biomass transformation

Abstract

Biomass is a composition of cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose. Cellulose and lignin serve as key precursors for the synthesis of a wide range of value-added chemicals and fuels. This project involves the extraction and separation of lignin and cellulose from biomass sources, specifically wheat straw, wood dust, and rice straw. Following separation, we will decompose the lignin into various monophenolic compounds, including syringaldehyde, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde. The generated aldehydic compounds will undergo condensation reactions with ketones to produce substrates with an elevated carbon count. In this thesis, we aim to employ various catalytic processes to facilitate hydrogenation and hydrodeoxygenation of these substrates. The focus is to convert these compounds into hydrocarbons that meet the specifications for jet fuel applications. This thesis comprises four chapters, structured as follows: The first chapter deals with the general introduction of the extraction of lignin and cellulose from lignocellulosic biomass. The second chapter includes the experimental procedures adopted for catalyst synthesis, substrate synthesis, and the execution of various catalytic reactions. The third chapter includes a detailed discussion of the results obtained from various substrate synthesis and hydrogenation experiments. The final chapter presents the conclusion of the thesis, highlighting the major findings. The primary goal of this thesis is to develop an active and efficient heterogeneous catalyst that operates under environmentally benign conditions for biomass transformation.