Insights on Guerbet Reaction: Production of Biobutanol From Bioethanol Over a Mg-Al Spinel Catalyst

M A Portillo Crespo; F Vidal-Barrero; Lola Azancot; Tomas Ramírez Reina; M Campoy

doi:10.3389/fchem.2022.945596

Insights on Guerbet Reaction: Production of Biobutanol From Bioethanol Over a Mg-Al Spinel Catalyst

Front Chem. 2022 Jul 14:10:945596. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2022.945596. eCollection 2022.

Authors

M A Portillo Crespo¹, F Vidal-Barrero¹, Lola Azancot², Tomas Ramírez Reina^{2

3}, M Campoy¹

Affiliations

¹ Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Ambiental, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
² Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Material Sciences Institute of Seville, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain.
³ Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom.

Abstract

The production of biobutanol from bioethanol by the Guerbet reaction is an alternative pathway to renewable sources. The commercial viability of this green route requires improvements in the process development. This study experimentally examines the influence of operating conditions on the performance of a Mg-Al spinel catalyst prepared from hydrotalcite precursors. This catalyst demonstrates an exceptional performance in the Guerbet reaction with a promising activity/butanol selectivity balance, excellent long-term stability, and very-low-carbon footprint (CO₂ generation as by-products is minimal). This study showcases a systematic strategy to optimize the reaction parameters in the Guerbet reaction for biobutanol production using an advanced spinel catalyst. Upon carefully adjusting temperature, pressure, space velocity, and reactants co-feeding, very promising conversion (35%) and butanol selectivity values (48%) were obtained.

Keywords: green chemicals; green fuels; n-butanol; renewable sources; sustainable catalysis.