Added value from lignocellulose

Project description

The chemical industry is highly dependent on fossil resources such as oil, natural gas and coal. In addition to their use in energy production, they are also used as raw materials for a wide range of everyday products, such as plastics and fuels, solvents, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. This dependence poses a major challenge in view of finite resources, volatile markets and the global climate crisis.

Our research aims to develop non-toxic, bio-based and sustainable alternatives from biomass and to transfer their production into continuous processes. A particular focus is on xylose-based acetals, which can be used as green, polar and aprotic solvents. In industrially relevant reactions - such as hydrogenations, alkylations or Heck reactions - they achieve a performance comparable to conventional solvents, but offer significant advantages in terms of toxicity and occupational safety. In addition, the structural variability of these derivatives enables targeted adaptation of their combustion properties, making them interesting as potential fuel additives.
For the production of xylose acetals, we are investigating innovative heterogeneous catalyst systems, in particular immobilized heteropolyacids on highly functionalized carrier materials.^[1] These systems are characterized by high activity, selectivity, good stability and recyclability. However, powdered catalysts reach their limits when scaled up in continuous systems.

Our project addresses these challenges by developing additively manufactured, mechanically stable and chemically resistant catalyst monoliths. The basis is the use of polymer filaments, which are carbonized after the printing process and then loaded with heteropolyacids. The aim is to develop a 3D-printable polymer-catalyst composite material that enables the direct production of customized porous structures with defined flow channels. The catalysts will be comprehensively characterized - including by elemental analysis, N₂-physisorption, NH₃-TPD and electron microscopy (SEM, TEM, EDX) - in order to systematically understand structure-activity relationships.

In continuous reactors, we then investigate the activity, selectivity and stability of the developed catalyst, as well as the scalability of the process. We transfer the knowledge gained to other acid-catalyzed biomass value-added products. One example is Solketal, a bio-based acetal with broad applications as a lubricant, fuel additive or solvent. It is produced via the acid-catalyzed acetalization of glycerol with acetone. By replacing petrochemically produced acetone, fully bio-based solketal derivatives are to be developed.

Our overarching goal is to drive the transformation of the chemical industry by developing a scalable, safe and sustainable process for the production of bio-based products.

References

1. A. K. Beine, L. Rothe:

   "A Catalytic Process for the Production of the Polar Aprotic Solvent Diformylxylose using Supported Heteropolyacids"

   ChemistrySelect 2025, 10, e202405682.