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Nano Research & Applications
ISSN 2471-9838 Advanced Nano 2017
Page 65
September 11-12, 2017 Amsterdam, Netherlands
20th International Conference on
Advanced Nanotechnology
Green preparation of highly active nano-metal
catalysts for renewable fuel production
Riny Yolandha Parapat and Reinhard Schomäcker
Technical University of Berlin, Germany
As the fossil resources utilization escalates significantly
CO2 levels in the atmosphere, the renouncing of
the fossil fuels reliance is getting increase. This drives
researcher either inventing biofuels or discovering new and
improved catalytic processes and technologies that focus
on environmental prevention rather than remediation.
Reducing negative environmental impact calls for utterly
new catalysts which are more active and selective which is
continuing challenge in nanoscience and nanotechnology,
demanding an ability to design new catalytic materials.
Through the knowledge of the activity determining factors
of the catalyst, one will be able to design catalysts in
atomic- scale. Our results show that applying the same
natural reductant on different metal precursors will produce
different size and shape of metal nanoparticles. From
our investigation with transmission electron microscopy
(TEM) and high resolution of transmission electron
microscopy (HRTEM) we found that the metal with
different shapes such as nano-dendrites, nanoflakes and
multi various shapes were produced after the synthesis
process. The NPs were deposited on the support material
by using thermo-destabilization of microemulsion and
then tested first with hydrogenation reactions such as
hydrogenation of Alpha Methyl Styrene, Methyl Crotonate
and Levulinic acid. Among those hydrogenation reactions,
Levulinic Acid (LA) hydrogenation is the most challenging
one. Levulinic acid is one of the top bio-based platform
molecules that can be converted to renewable fuel such
as γ-valerolactone (GVL). LA hydrogenation normally is
carried out at high pressure and high temperature. Yet
with our unoptimized Pt nanocatalysts, we are able to
carry out that reaction at a very mild reaction condition
(1.3 bar and 70 oC) with 100 % GVL selectivity at 94%
conversion. The produced nanocatalysts are very active
due to the anisotropic structure of the nanomaterials
which is engineered by using weak green reductant.
These engineered nanomaterials not only are prepared in
a greener way, but also shows potential to be applied in a
green catalysis.
Nano Research & Applications