defence X.Xi: "Chemo-catalytic synthesis of biobased higher alcohols"

Higher alcohols have attracted considerable interest owing to their broad range of applications. They are used as a fuel (additive) in combustion engines, are in demand in the chemical industry, and are also precursors for olefins and the preparation of plasticizers and detergents. Nowadays, higher alcohols are mainly manufactured through either fermentation technology with high energy demand, or the hydration of alkenes with very low single-pass conversion and high dependence on unsustainable petroleum oil. Therefore, new catalytic technology with sustainability advantages like the use of renewable feeds (e.g. syngas from biomass, CO2 from the atmosphere and bioethanol) needs to be developed in order to meet the increasing demand for higher alcohols.

This PhD thesis presents improved catalytic systems for higher alcohol synthesis from renewable feeds with remarkable performance in terms of activity, selectivity and stability in comparison with the state-of-the-art reported in the literature. Moreover, relations between catalyst structure and performance have been established based on detailed catalyst characterization studies and in depth analyses of products.

promotors: HJ Heeres and F. Picchioni