Biobased Chemicals from Conception toward Industrial Reality: Lessons Learned and To Be Learned

Abstract

The development of innovative catalytic technologies to transform biomass into chemicals attracts increasing interest in both academic and industrial arenas as a means to establish a sustainable economy. This Perspective reviews relevant concepts developed in the field of chemocatalytic conversion of biomass and proposes strategies for engineering the future generations of catalytic processes devoted to the production of chemicals from lignocellulose-derived compounds. We discuss (i) approaches currently followed in the selection of biomass conversion routes to chemicals; (ii) required operating conditions to process bioderived feedstocks; (iii) design features for efficient catalysts; and finally, (iv) emerging reactor and separation options. With regard to catalyst families, particular attention is given to zeolites in view of the promising utilization of these crystalline microporous aluminosilicates in dehydration, isomerization, retro-aldolization, and oxidation reactions and of the potential of tailored (hierarchical, functionalized, or both) zeolite-based systems to attain superior performances in the transformation of biobased compounds. Throughout the way from idea to industrial reality, we put forward scientific and technological aspects of the mature petrochemical industry that could be transposed or adapted to the biobased manufacture of chemicals and indicate which knowledge will need to be developed ex novo.