1. The catalytic hydroconversion of lower bio-carboxylic acids to bio-alcohols Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry Research Centre for Natural Sciences Hungarian Academy of Sciences, György Onyestyák HUSK kick-off meeting October 17, 2012

2. Bio-carboxylic acids to bio-alcohols Aim: development of novel catalysts and proccesses acidaldehydeolefin ether ester paraffin +H 2 -H 2 O alcohol Main platforms of the biomass destruction and chemical utilization : → Edible parts - biodiesel from C-rich triglycerides dead ends - ethanol from sugar and starch → Non-edible (cut-offs) - thermochemical - total: synthesis gas → metanol /Green Oscar/ - partial: pyrolisis oil /volatile fatty acids,too/ - biochemical (aneorobic) → acetic acid → bio-gas C 6 H 12 O 6 → 3CH 3 COOH → 3CH 4 + 3CO 2 ↓ Adkins, Raney, etc.→novel, efficient, selective deoxygenating cataysts desired

3. Comparison of Ni/ and Ni 2 In/alumina catalysts 9Ni/Al 2 O 3 9Ni/Al 2 O 3 + 10% In 2 O 3 change of the mechanism  ←hydrodecarbonylation and minor reduction ← partial reduction and minor dehydration 300 °C

4. Indium dopping effect for 9Ni/Al 2 O 3 270 °C

5. Comparison of the commercial Adkins and a novel Ni 2 In/Al 2 O 3 catalysts 72 % CuCr 2 O 4 + 28 % CuO 9Ni/Al 2 O 3 + 10% In 2 O 3

6. HT-XRD studies on a 9Ni/Al 2 O 3 + 10% In 2 O 3 mixture * InNi 2

7. Comparison of the commercial Adkins and a novel Ni 2 In/Al 2 O 3 catalysts 72 % CuCr 2 O 4 + 28 % CuO 9Ni/Al 2 O 3 + 10% In 2 O 3

8. A reaction schema on the base of detected products in acetic acid hydroconversion

9. Conclusions  Indium additive can effectively direct the step by step catalytic deoxygenation to alcohol formation instead of hydrodecarbonylation probably due to formation of a new Ni 2 In phase.  /10 papers and 1 chapter are already published and 2+1 of them under this HUSK support/

10. The following studies  The influence of various supports  The influence of various metallic co-catalysts  Optimization of catalyst preparation  Reaction kinetics studies  Understanding the mechanism  Application other real reactant originated from biomass instead of acetic acid in the hydro- conversion

11. Thanks for your attention! Hungarian folk-song: „Válaszúti csárdában, Ecet ég a lámpában. Jaj de homályosan ég, Kilenc legény a vendég.” …