Conversion of glucose to biofuel-derivatives by hydrotalcite supported metals and functionalized mesoporous catalysts

The demand of renewable , sustainable and green energy source are increasing because global energy demand is increasing and depletion of fossil fuels. The aim of the doctoral thesis is to convert glucose, valuable biomass, into high selective biofuel derivatives with green and economical process in the presence of a catalyst. For this purpose, the dehydration of glucose was carried out with phthalocyanine and organic metal complexes to obtain 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) which is the important fuel raw material. Accordance to the thesis's purpose, hydrotalcite-like catalysts and bimetallic oxide in consideration of redox and basic properties were synthesized and tested in glucose oxidation to obtain formic acid, which can be used as hydrogen source. High active and selective catalysts were determined for both the dehydration and oxidation reactions of glucose. Parametric studies (type of solvent, reaction temperature and time, catalyst/glucose ratio) were investigated and optimum reaction conditions were determined for each reactions. XRD, FT-IR and surface morphology of the synthesized catalysts were analyzed. Dehydration of glucose was carried out with aluminum phthalocyanine (AlPcCl) catalyst in dimethyl sulfoxide and 53.0% 5-HMF yield was obtained and optimum reaction conditions were determined as 130 °C, 1/5 : catalyst/glucose ratio and 3 hours. As a result of the studies for glucose oxidation, ~99% formic acid selectivity was obtained after 6 hours at 70 ℃ at atmospheric pressure with Mg-Al (1:3) catalyst in ethanol medium. All in all glucose was converted to high selective biofuel derivatives in a green, economical and catalytic methods, sucsessfully.