Production of Bio-hydrocarbon through Oxidative Decarboxylation of Fatty Acids Using Biomimetic Catalysis
Abstract
The increasing global energy demand, coupled with the depletion of fossil-based resources, necessitates the development of sustainable, plant-based alternatives to mitigate CO₂ emissions, a leading driver of climate change. Fatty acids derived from renewable sources, such as crude palm oil (CPO) and coconut oil, offer a promising solution due to their molecular structure, which shares key characteristics with hydrocarbons while also featuring a carboxyl functional group. In the pursuit of hydrocarbon production, the removal of this carboxyl group is essential, typically achieved through processes such as decarbonylation or hydrodeoxygenation. This study explores the oxidative decarboxylation of fatty acids, utilizing a biomimetic catalytic approach under relatively mild conditions—atmospheric pressure and moderate temperatures. Air served as the oxidant, with manganese (Mn) as the catalyst and copper (Cu) as the co-catalyst. Reactions were conducted at 110°C to 150°C, with a fatty acid-to-catalyst mass ratio of 13:0.1 to 13:1, using dimethyl sulfoxide as the solvent and air supplied at 1 liter per minute. The results indicate that myristic acid exhibits a higher degree of conversion compared to lauric acid. Lauric acid conversion ranged between 27.70% and 34.49%, while myristic acid conversion ranged from 26.70% to 52.70%. The resulting product was analyzed according to the ASTM D-86 method, with the decarboxylation of lauric acid yielding a boiling range of 98°C to 250°C—within the typical range for gasoline and aviation turbine fuel. This approach offers a promising, energy-efficient route to bio-hydrocarbon production under mild aerobic conditions, contributing to the global transition towards renewable energy sources.
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