Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 26 No 1 (2022): 119 - 129

 

 

 

 

CATALYTIC CONVERSION OF CELLULOSE TO LEVULINIC ACID USING SUPPORTED NOBLE METAL PALLADIUM CATALYST

 

(Penukaran Bermangkin dari Selulosa ke Asid Levulinik Menggunakan Mangkin Disokong Logam Adi Paladium)

 

Puteri Nurain Syahirah Megat Muhammad Kamal, Norzahir Sapawe, Amin Safwan Alikasturi*

 

Universiti Kuala Lumpur Branch Campus Malaysian Institute of Chemical and Bioengineering Technology,

Lot 1988 Vendor City, Taboh Naning, 78000 Alor Gajah, Melaka, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author:  aminsafwan@unikl.edu.my

 

 

Received: 15 September 2021; Accepted: 30 December 2021; Published:  25 February 2022

 

 

Abstract

In resolving the current energy crisis, it is vital to effectively use the abundant biomass to produce platform chemicals, for instance levulinic acid (LA). LA is very flexible for the formation of high value-added chemicals as it belongs to the family of carboxyl and ketone. This valuable platform chemical can be produced from cellulose (the most abundant biomass in nature). Palladium (Pd) as a noble metal was incorporated with  catalyst supports (silica-alumina; SiO2-Al2O3 and gamma-alumina; γ-Al2O3) by using wet impregnation method, aiming for 4 wt.% of noble metal on supports followed by catalyst calcination at 500 ˚C. The catalyst was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). The effects of reaction parameters such as agitation speed, reaction temperature, and cellulose loading were investigated using this catalyst in a semi-batch reactor for 8 hours. The highest conversion of cellulose (73.9%) and yield of LA (43.3%) was achieved under these conditions: agitation speed of 1100 rpm, reaction temperature of 200 ˚C, and cellulose loading of 1.5 g with pre-reduction of Pd/SiO2-Al2O3 catalyst (surface area and pore volume up to 485.6 m2/g and 0.2459 cm3/g, respectively) at 150 ˚C and agitation speed of 1300 rpm (in 5 bars of hydrogen, H2 for 1 hour).

 

Keywords:  Pd/SiO2-Al2O3, cellulose, hydrolysis, levulinic acid

 

Abstrak

Dalam menyelesaikan krisis tenaga semasa, adalah sangat penting untuk menggunakan biojisim yang berkesan dalam menghasilkan bahan kimia platform seperti asid levulinik (LA). LA sangat fleksibel untuk pembentukan bahan kimia bernilai tinggi, kerana ia tergolong dalam keluarga karboksil dan keton. Bahan kimia platform yang berharga ini boleh dihasilkan dari selulosa (biojisim yang paling banyak terdapat di alam semula jadi). Paladium (Pd) sebagai logam adi boleh digabungkan dengan penampung mangkin (silica-alumina; SiO2-Al2O3 and gamma-alumina; γ-Al2O3) yang dihasilkan menggunakan kaedah impregnasi basah yang bertujuan untuk 4% logam adi pada penampung mangkin diikuti oleh kalsinasi mangkin pada suhu 500 ˚C. Mangkin dicirikan menggunakan spektroskopi inframerah transformasi Fourier (FTIR) dan Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). Kajian mengenai pengaruh parameter reaksi seperti kelajuan pengadukan, suhu tindak balas, dan pemuatan selulosa disiasat menggunakan mangkin ini dalam reaktor semi-kelompok selama 8 jam. Penukaran selulosa tertinggi (73.9%) dan hasil LA (43.3%) dicapai dalam keadaan ini; kelajuan pengadukan 1100 rpm, suhu tindak balas 200 ˚C, dan pemuatan selulosa 1.5 g dengan pra-pengurangan mangkin Pd/SiO2-Al2O3 (luas permukaan dan isi pori 485.6 m2/g dan 0.2459 cm3/g, masing masing) pada suhu 150 ˚C dan kelajuan pengadukan 1300 rpm (dalam 5 bar hidrogen, H2 selama 1 jam).

Kata kunci:  Pd/SiO2-Al2O3, selulosa, hidrolisis, asid levulinik

 

 


Graphical Abstract



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