CATALYSIS FOR BIOMASS UTILIZATION AND SELECTIVE HYDROGENATION

Abstract

As the world today faces several interrelated global crises in several areas such as climate change, plastic wastes and energy, the role of green chemistry cannot be overemphasized. Chemicals generated from biomass are gaining attention due to the zero CO2 balance. Transforming biomass into feedstock chemicals and their utilization requires highly efficient and robust catalysts as harsh conditions are frequently required. This thesis succeeded in designing highly efficient catalysts for the utilization of three biomass derived-chemicals, namely, ethanol, phenol and furfural. In each case, the catalysts were tailored to address the specific requirements. The designed catalysts described in this thesis have been well characterized so that an understanding of the structure-activity relationships can be obtained. The optimized catalysts exhibited excellent activity which opens up their potential for industry application and also gives helpful guides for the design of new catalysts.