Catalysts synthesis with structured pores derivatives of hydrotalcite by combined use of sol-gel chemistry, surfactans and emulsion

• Grant number: 16/12702-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: April 15, 2017
• End date: October 14, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Leandro Pierroni Martins
• Grantee: Davi Domingos Petrolini
• Supervisor: James Anthony Dumesic
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 15/05321-5 - Catalysts synthesis with structured pores derivatives of hydrotalcite by combined use of sol-gel chemistry, surfactants and emulsion, BP.DR

Abstract

This proposal of international cooperation is within the framework of the Ph.D. thesis entitled "Emulsion-mediated synthesis of hierarchical mesoporous-macroporous hydrotalcites for application as improved catalyst precursors" in execution through the FAPESP grant 2015/05321-5. We aim to continue the development of this proposal in cooperation with Prof. James A. Dumesic from the University of Wisconsin Madison-College of Engineering. The Research Group of Prof. Dumesic stands out in studies of the fundamental surface chemistry involved in the catalytic conversion of biomass-derived compounds to fuels and chemicals. In addition, Dumesic and his group have developed new catalytic processing strategies and novel reactor configurations to achieve the selective transformation of biomass-derived reactants to targeted platform chemical intermediates, such as furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural, levulinic acid, and gamma-valerolactone (GVL). From the Brazilian side, the main target of the original proposal was to synthesize supports of Al2O3-MgO, Al2O3-CaO and Al2O3-SrO mixed oxides, impregnated with copper, by a sol-gel transition method. The mixed oxides have been extensively used in various catalytic reactions or as catalyst support. Specifically in the case in which the dispersion of active metals is needed, conventional or poorly controlled synthesis of these materials cause the formation of different sizes of metal particles, for example, on the support, which can then agglomerate and decrease the interparticle space1. For most advanced applications, control of pore sizes in different scale is necessary. A method used to produce catalysts with macro/mesopores, is the combination of sol-gel transition with the emulsion acting as a soft template, wherein a non-polar phase is dispersed in an aqueous phase. Inorganic precursors organize around the droplets of the nonpolar phase and then the sol is gelled. The removal of droplets after drying and calcination creates the porous structure in different sizes. 2,3 Despite the good results we have obtained so far, we would like to profit from the expertise of Prof. Dumesic's group to perform atomic layer deposition (ALD), which is another way to avoid sintering and leaching (in liquid-phase reaction) of copper nanoparticles during the catalytic process. To evaluate the catalytic performance we intend be perform liquid-phase hydrogenation of furfural. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PETROLINI, DAVI D.; EAGAN, NATHANIEL; BALL, MADELYN R.; BURT, SAMUEL P.; HERMANS, IVE; HUBER, GEORGE W.; DUMESIC, JAMES A.; MARTINS, LEANDRO. Ethanol condensation at elevated pressure over copper on AlMgO and AlCaO porous mixed-oxide supports. CATALYSIS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, v. 9, n. 8, p. 2032-2042, APR 21 2019. (16/12702-8, 15/05321-5)