RARE-1: Understanding catalyst activity to improve the production of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid

RARE-1：了解催化剂活性以提高 2,5-呋喃二甲酸的生产

• 批准号: 2230355
• 负责人: Stephanie Wettstein
• 金额: $ 45万
• 依托单位: Montana State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-09-01 至 2025-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2230355&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RARE; Understanding; catalyst; activity; improve

The manufacturing of polymeric materials is one of the leading contributors to carbon emissions in the chemical industry due to the high energy requirements associated with the production, refining, and conversion of fossil fuels to polymers. A greener alternative to using fossil resources is bio-based polymers. The project investigates more efficient chemical processing for the production of 2,5- furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) – a bio-based chemical that can be upgraded to polymers analogous to fossil-derived polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is widely used in the production of films, polyesters, and nylons. The corresponding FDCA based polymer (polyethylene furanoate, or PEF) is particularly attractive for food and beverage packaging, such as plastic bottles, and is estimated to be a $200 billion market. However, FDCA is produced via oxidation of a biomass precursor, 5- hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which has several major production limitations. This project addresses several challenges associated with the manufacture of FDCA from HMF, thus enabling more economical production of PEF and its related products.The project addresses several challenges of FDCA synthesis by improving the reaction using organic solvents and heterogeneous catalysts. In particular, the project focuses on fundamental aspects related to the interactions of solvents, reactants, and products with the surface and active sites of the catalysts. Specifically, the research focuses on two main limitations of FDCA production: catalyst activity and product concentration. Identifying solvents that have high FDCA solubility in the absence of salts will significantly improve the range of heterogenous catalysts that can be used in the reaction. Bimetallic and non-noble metal catalysts will be synthesized using atomic layer deposition (ALD) in order to achieve uniform catalyst particle dispersion, while also controlling particle size, structure, and composition. The ALD-synthesized catalysts provide a platform conducive to identifying catalyst properties that enable efficient HMF-to-FDCA conversion, while providing fundamental insight regarding the surface reactions involved. Additionally, base-free reactions at high HMF concentrations will be run to elucidate reactant/product/solvent interactions with the catalysts. Beyond the technical aspects, the project integrates research with education at all levels, especially via efforts targeted towards underrepresented minorities with the goal of motivating young students to consider the STEM fields as a possible career path. To that end, sustained contact will be made with over 120 4th graders in under-served, rural areas of Montana.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

由于与化石燃料的生产、精炼和转化相关的高能源需求，聚合物材料的制造是化学工业碳排放的主要贡献者之一。使用化石资源的更绿色替代品是生物基材料。该项目研究了用于生产 2,5-呋喃二甲酸 (FDCA) 的更多化学加工方法，这是一种生物基化学品，可以升级为类似于高效化石衍生聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯的聚合物。 (PET)，广泛用于薄膜、聚酯和尼龙的生产，相应的 FDCA 基聚合物（聚乙烯呋喃酸酯，或 PEF）对于塑料瓶等食品和饮料包装特别有吸引力，预计将在然而，FDCA 是通过生物质前体 5-羟甲基糠醛 (HMF) 的氧化生产的，它有几个主要的生产限制。该项目解决了与此相关的几个挑战。该项目通过改进使用有机溶剂和多相催化剂的反应来解决 FDCA 合成的几个挑战，特别是，该项目重点关注与 FDCA 合成相关的基本方面。具体来说，该研究重点关注 FDCA 生产的两个主要限制：催化剂活性和产品浓度。不含盐将显着提高反应中可使用的多相催化剂的范围。将使用原子层沉积（ALD）合成双金属和非贵金属催化剂，以实现催化剂均匀的颗粒分散，同时控制颗粒尺寸。 ALD 合成的催化剂提供了一个平台，有助于识别能够实现 HMF 到 FDCA 转化的催化剂特性，同时提供有关所涉及的表面反应的基本见解。除了技术方面之外，该项目还将通过高浓度的 HMF 来阐明反应物/产品/溶剂与催化剂的相互作用，特别是通过针对代表性不足的少数群体的努力，以激励年轻学生考虑 STEM。为此，我们将与蒙大拿州服务欠缺的农村地区的 120 多名四年级学生进行持续接触。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并被认为值得支持。通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估。