Solvent-free dehydration, cyclization, and hydrogenation of linalool with a dual heterogeneous catalyst system to generate a high-performance sustainable aviation fuel.

The development of efficient catalytic methods for the synthesis of bio-based, full-performance jet fuels is critical for limiting the impacts of climate change while enabling a thriving modern society. To help address this need, here, linalool, a terpene alcohol that can be produced via fermentation of biomass sugars, was dehydrated, cyclized, and hydrogenated in a one-pot reaction under moderate reaction conditions. This sequence produced a biosynthetic fuel mixture primarily composed of 1-methyl-4-isopropylcyclohexane (p-menthane) and 2,6-dimethyloctane (DMO).

Oligo(amylene) from the reaction of fusel oil with zinc dihalide.

Heating mixtures of fusel oil and zinc chloride or zinc bromide to 180 °C gave water, difusel ethers and the hydrocarbon oligo(amylene) as the major coproducts. Separation by chromatography gave oligo(amylene) in 25% yield from fusel oil. The triamylene fraction of the oligo(amylene) had a net heating value of 43.

Synthesis of Bio-Based Methylcyclopentadiene from 2,5-Hexanedione: A Sustainable Route to High Energy Density Jet Fuels.

The sustainable, bio-based, platform chemical, 2,5-hexanedione [HD (1)], was efficiently converted to methylcyclopentadiene [MCPD (4)] through a three-step process consisting of intramolecular aldol condensation, catalytic chemoselective hydrogenation, and dehydration. Base-catalyzed aldol condensation of 1 resulted in the formation of 3-methyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one [MCO (2)], which was then converted to 3-methyl-2-cyclopenten-1-ol [MCP (3)] by chemoselective reduction with a ternary Ru catalyst system [RuCl (PPh ) /NH (CH ) NH /KOH]. The hydrogenation proceeded with 96 % chemoselectivity.

Solubility of hydrocarbon oils in alcohols (≤C) and synthesis of difusel carbonate for degreasing.

The empirical solubility of hydrocarbon fluids, polyalphaolefin (PAO) and mineral oil, in thirteen small molecular weight alcohols (C-C) was determined. Butanols, pentanols, and 1-hexanol could dissolve up to PAO-10 and mineral oil. -Pentanol and 1-hexanol could also dissolve high-viscosity PAO-150.