Title: Solid materials as green catalysts for bioenergy processes: A review as a sustainable perspective

Abstract

The purpose of this presentation is to highlight several chemical applications to produce, mainly, bioenergy and new major-value products, under new materials, as potential heterogeneous green catalysts. Some of these applications were tested in lab, under different chemical and electrochemical processes. The increase on its utilization of new chemicals as potential heterogeneous catalysts for bioenergy processes, is increasing significantly since last years, performing a remarkable attention with these materials, as an important tool for the application of the green chemistry concept. Composite materials, nanocatalysts, zeolites, double oxides, natural clays and other natural/ synthetic materials are commonly used as sustainable solid catalysts in bioenergy processes, e. g., in 1st and 2nd G biodiesel processes (acid and alkaline catalysis) and, in syngas conversion processes combined with hydrogen technologies (methanation reaction, production of methanol, DME, phormaldeyde, formic acid, etc.). Glycerol valorisation processes will be, also exemplified, as sustainable ones with the utilization of these materials as potential heterogeneous catalysts, in acetalization and acetylation reactions, to produce new major value products, such as, biofuel additives in diesel engines. Heterogeneous catalysis presents several and significative processual advantages when compared with the heterogeneous ones, regarding not only, economic advantages, but also, regarding the minimization of environmental impacts, key factors for applying any sustainable process, at industrial scale. Heterogeneous catalysis is a major and crucial factor to addressed sustainability, as one of the precursors of green chemistry in industrial process, combining science materials, physics, chemistry, and chemical engineering profiles, thus enhancing the utilization of multidisciplinary teams. Regarding, for instance, biodiesel production process, the utilization of some of these materials produced a biofuel with higher conversion and yield, higher than 96.5% (w/w), which is the minimum required by EN 14214 European Standards for biodiesel quality.