(487r) Hydrothermally Stable Catalysts and Catalyst Supports

The selective hydrogenolysis of compounds derived from biomass has become a field of interest because it poses new horizons to explore regarding bio-renewable chemicals. One of the many challenges that researchers are facing in this field is the necessity to develop the corresponding catalysts and catalysts supports needed for the synthesis of these biomass-derived chemicals. The feedstock of the many processes being studied by the Center for Bio-Renewable Chemicals is glucose. The glucose-derived intermediates produced are in an aqueous state. Therefore, the proceeding bio-renewable conversions need to be performed under aqueous conditions and common catalyst, such as silica derived catalyst, are geared towards gas phase systems. Consequently, there is a need to develop catalysts that function appropriately under the condensed phase. When catalysts are used in the condensed phase hydrothermal stability becomes an issue. The goal of this research is to develop a hydrothermally and active catalyst for the dehydration-dehydrogenation system that corresponds to the conversion of 1,2,6- hexanetriol to 1,6hexanediol. The current catalysts being used have collapsed due to inefficient hydrothermal stability. The development of these catalysts will also help in understanding what parameters are influencing and controlling the selectivity in these reactions. After a thorough screen of various compounds to be used as catalysts, Niobia compounds resulted to be a good selection. University of New Mexico and University of Wisconsin are collaborating to develop a hydrothermally stable catalyst for this reaction, which involves Niobia and Silica as the main components of the catalyst.