NSF Award
2230355
The manufacturing of polymeric materials is one of the leading contributors to carbon emissions in the chemical industry due to the high energy requirements associated with the production, refining, and conversion of fossil fuels to polymers. A greener alternative to using fossil resources is bio-based polymers. The project investigates more efficient chemical processing for the production of 2,5- furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) – a bio-based chemical that can be upgraded to polymers analogous to fossil-derived polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is widely used in the production of films, polyesters, and nylons. The corresponding FDCA based polymer (polyethylene furanoate, or PEF) is particularly attractive for food and beverage packaging, such as plastic bottles, and is estimated to be a $200 billion market. However, FDCA is produced via oxidation of a biomass precursor, 5- hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which has several major production limitations. This project addresses several challenges associated with the manufacture of FDCA from HMF, thus enabling more economical production of PEF and its related products.<br/><br/>The project addresses several challenges of FDCA synthesis by improving the reaction using organic solvents and heterogeneous catalysts. In particular, the project focuses on fundamental aspects related to the interactions of solvents, reactants, and products with the surface and active sites of the catalysts. Specifically, the research focuses on two main limitations of FDCA production: catalyst activity and product concentration. Identifying solvents that have high FDCA solubility in the absence of salts will significantly improve the range of heterogenous catalysts that can be used in the reaction. Bimetallic and non-noble metal catalysts will be synthesized using atomic layer deposition (ALD) in order to achieve uniform catalyst particle dispersion, while also controlling particle size, structure, and composition. The ALD-synthesized catalysts provide a platform conducive to identifying catalyst properties that enable efficient HMF-to-FDCA conversion, while providing fundamental insight regarding the surface reactions involved. Additionally, base-free reactions at high HMF concentrations will be run to elucidate reactant/product/solvent interactions with the catalysts. Beyond the technical aspects, the project integrates research with education at all levels, especially via efforts targeted towards underrepresented minorities with the goal of motivating young students to consider the STEM fields as a possible career path. To that end, sustained contact will be made with over 120 4th graders in under-served, rural areas of Montana.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
