Catalyst Deactivation and Its Mitigation during Catalytic Conversions of Biomass

Abstract

Biofuel or biochemical production from biomass, especially lignocellulosic biomass, is the most promising option to replace fossil-based products to achieve sustainability. However, biomass is currently under-utilized because biomass conversion technologies have faced significant challenges to compete with incumbent petroleum technologies. Advancement in catalysis plays a central role in increasing the readiness of biomass conversion technologies. In this respect, improving catalyst stability is one of the well-known grand challenges for biomass conversion catalysis, which impedes the scaling up and commercialization of many biomass conversion techniques. In comparison to conventional processing of fossil fuels (petroleum, coal, and natural gas), biomass conversion is largely challenged by three unique properties of biomass-derived feedstocks�high water and oxygen content, high contamination by minerals and heteroatoms, and high degree and reactivity of oxygen functionalization�which all cause greater catalyst deactivation in different ways. Therefore, research on catalyst deactivation mitigation and catalyst regeneration is extremely important for the development of biomass conversion technologies. This review aims to highlight studies on catalyst deactivation and mitigation for thermo-catalytic processes in biomass conversion, with emphasis on the deactivation of heterogeneous catalysts caused by the three unique characteristics of biomass-derived feedstocks. This work will provide information on correlating the characteristics of biomass-derived streams, their potential impact on catalyst lifetime, and a potential mitigation approach, which could guide a more rational design of a robust catalyst and processes for biomass conversion.

Al-Doped Core–Shell-Structured Ni@Mesoporous Silica for Highly Selective Hydrodeoxygenation of Lignin-Derived Aldehydes

“…As many biomass conversions are performed in water, catalyst stability needs to be taken into serious account . The reusability of the catalysts was also investigated, and the comparison results are shown in Figure a.…”

“…As many biomass conversions are performed in water, catalyst stability needs to be taken into serious account. 45 The reusability of the catalysts was also investigated, and the comparison results are shown in Figure 9a. A significant decrease in MMP yield was observed for Ni/mSiO 2 after reusing for three cycles, which could be ascribed to the aggregation of Ni nanoparticles, while the MMP yields of Ni@ mSiO 2 and Ni@Al 3 -mSiO 2 remained almost unchanged (53.2 and 99.6%) after 10 successive times under identical reaction conditions, implying that the core−shell structure promotes the reusability.…”

Selective Oxidation of 5-Hydroxymethyl Furfural Coupled with H2 Production over Surface Sulfur Vacancy-Rich Zn3In2S6/Bi2MoO6 Heterojunction Photocatalyst

“…It is possible that catalyst fouling (i.e., pore clogging or active site masking by impurities) in the used ZIS-VS/BMO may be the primary cause of decreased catalyst selectivity. In addition, the attrition of catalysts that may occur after multiple reaction cycles may also be responsible for the selectivity degradation of the used ZIS-V S /BMO …”

“…In addition, the attrition of catalysts that may occur after multiple reaction cycles may also be responsible for the selectivity degradation of the used ZIS-V S /BMO. 23 To further verify the stability of the photocatalyst, the XRD spectra of the used and fresh photocatalysts were checked, as shown in Figure S11. XRD spectra of ZIS-Vs/BMO before and after the HMF oxidation reaction have no significant variation for the main diffraction peaks.…”

Risk Minimization in Scale-Up of Biomass and Waste Carbon Upgrading Processes

“…27 A prevalent cause of deactivation during biomass upgrading is catalyst or membrane poisoning from biogenic impurities. 17,28 We recommend that feeds to lab-sized equipment are as similar as possible to envisioned pioneer plant feedstocks, such that technology developers can identify as quickly as possible which impurities are harmful to a conversion process. Thus, technology developers must introduce real feedstocks with as many variations in source, purity, and composition as possible when testing process durability in lab-sized equipment.…”