Antisolvent Precipitated Transition Metal Carbonates as a Green Catalysts for Selective Oxidation of Lignocellulosic Biomass

Carbon dioxide utilisation is a promising strategy for reducing greenhouse gas and mitigating climate change. The proposed research

intends to prepare copper carbonate catalysts using the supercritical carbon dioxide-assisted precipitation method and evaluate their

catalytic performance in the partial oxidation of lignocellulosic biomass under a carbon dioxide atmosphere. An optimisation study

will be performed to determine the reaction conditions that resulted in the highest catalytic activity and the highest product

selectivity. Mechanistic studies will be carried out to understand the reaction mechanisms. These investigations provide an insight

into the formation of transition metal carbonates and their influence on chemical kinetics and product distribution. This project will

be divided into three parts: (1) Investigating the effect of the preparation approach on catalyst formation and performance, (2)

Determining the effect of transition metal types on catalyst properties and activity, and (3) Evaluating the effect of introducing noble

metals on the catalytic performance of transition metal carbonates. The research methodology combines catalyst preparation,

material characterisation, catalyst testing, and mechanistic studies that utilise a wide range of laboratory instrumental techniques.

Particularly, transition metal carbonate catalysts will be synthesised using environmental-friendly supercritical carbon dioxide

antisolvent (SAS) precipitation. The outcome of this research will produce an effective catalyst that can realise the use of carbon

dioxide as a mild oxidant in an important selective oxidation reaction. In addition to generating billions of euros of revenue to the

agricultural industry, the resulting catalytic process is estimated to reduce more than two hundred million tonnes of carbon

emissions. The project will help the EU and UK to meet their net-zero emission goal by 2050, while strengthening their leading position in the green technology race.