Biochar-MgO from Soursop Seeds in the Production of Biofuel Additive Intermediates

V. PALERMO; J. CAMARGO; M. BRIJALDO; S. ACEVEDO; S. MANCIPE; J. CASTILLO; H. ROJAS; F. PASSOS; G. ROMANELLI; J. MARTINEZ

ChemPlusChem

John Wiley and Sons Inc

Año: 2023 vol. 88

]The conversion of residual biomass from fruit seeds into biocharcan be achieved using MgCl2 as an activating agent andcalcining at 700°C. The resulting MgO-biochars were employedin the aldol condensation reaction between furfural andacetone. This reaction is essential as the first step in theobtention of biofuels derived from biomass. The biochars werecharacterizedthrough variousphysicochemicaltechniques,revealing that the presence of MgO nanoparticles deposited onthe carbon surface modifies the structural and acidic-basicproperties of the carbonaceous materials with a graphiticstructure. The biochar with a surface content of MgO of 0.34%w/w enables the achievement of 100% of selectivity towards 4-(2-furanyl)-3-buten-2-one(I)withquantitativeconversionsunder optimizedconditions.This propertyhighlightsthepotential of using this type of biochar, commonly used for CO2capture, as a versatile acidic-basic catalyst, thereby introducinga novel approach to sustainable chemistry.