Catalytic conversion of alcohols into value-added products

Alcohols belong to an important class of oxygenates, containing highly versatile hydroxyl (-OH) functional group(s) which are capable of undergoing a variety of chemical transformations, yielding fuels, fuel additives and a wide range of highly useful chemicals and chemical intermediates. Production of methanol, bioethanol and other higher alcohols in plenty, through various biomass conversion processes, has rendered them renewable and carbon-neutral in character and highly useful as platform chemicals. Novel catalytic processes for the conversion of aliphatic C1-C4 alcohols to C2-C4 olefins/building block chemicals, like ethylene, propylene, isobutene and butadiene, and oxygenates like aldehydes, esters and ethers and gasoline range hydrocarbons have been developed. Catalytic coupling of ethanol to higher alcohols followed by dehydration, oligomerization and hydrogenation to yield jet fuel and middle distillates results in the production of low-carbon renewable/sustainable fuels. Steam reforming and aqueous phase reforming of alcohols to produce hydrogen is yet another process option available for the transformation of alcohols that has several advantages over conventional, non-renewable methane steam reforming. Significant progress has been reported in the catalytic α-alkylation of ketone esters and amides with alcohols and aldol condensation of alcohols with other oxygenates like acetone/ketones. Catalytic upgradation of biomass-derived glycerol, furfuryl alcohol and sugar-derived alcohols like sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol results in a range of value-added products. The origin of such processes, process chemistry, development of catalysts, recent advances and future trends are covered in this chapter.