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A GPS for Biofuels?

New method shows main routes taken in turning plants to fuels

Using a new method to determine the main reaction in converting biomass to fuels, researchers found that adding a pinch of nickel to a platinum catalyst greatly reduces (red line) the amount of energy needed.

Too many options. When turning agricultural waste, wood waste or specific crops into fuels, the main problem is just that — too many options. Each process has a feedstock, a desired product and a catalyst, which is typically a metal that drives the reaction. The process can involve a multitude of reactions. Some are efficient. Others are slow and wasteful. For scientists, biofuels production is like looking at a U.S. highway map and trying to determine the fastest, safest, most fuel-efficient route between Boston and Los Angeles. There are hundreds of combinations of highways and back roads, and the optimal route is not obvious. Also, road construction and weather delays can play a part in picking the best route. To pick the best route for a biofuels conversion, researchers built a global map. The map shows the major routes and considers “delays” and “driving conditions.” With the map for a reaction and a catalyst in place, scientists can test various scenarios. In recent tests using the mapping method, scientists showed that adding a bit of nickel to a platinum catalyst drastically decreased the amount of energy needed to reach the destination. By reducing the resistance for specific reactions, they demonstrated the overall biomass conversion rate can be substantially increased. This approach opens the door for tailoring catalysts and reactions to move bio-based fuels into the mainstream. The Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation, led by the University of Delaware, conducted the work.

Reference:

Salciccioli M, W Yu, MA Barteau, JG Chen, and DG Vlachos. 2011. “Differentiation of O–H and C–H Bond Scission Mechanisms of Ethylene Glycol on Pt and Ni/Pt Using Theory and Isotopic Labeling Experiments.” Journal of the American Chemical Society 133(20), 7996-8004. DOI: 10.1021/ja201801t.