Nanocomposites and nanomaterials
Carbon-supported Mg-Al oxide systems for aqueous ethanol conversion into 1-butanol
Larina O.V.1, Kyriienko P.I.1, Shcherban N.D.1, Balakin D.Yu.2
1 L.V. Pisarzhevskii Institute of Physical Chemistry of the NAS of Ukraine, Prospect Nauky, 31, Kyiv-03028, Ukraine.
E-mail: olga.larina@ukr.net
2 Institute of Physics of the NAS of Ukraine, Prospect Nauky, 46, Kyiv-03039, Ukraine.

In relation to the reduction of world oil reserves, the development of catalysts for the production of industrially important substances using raw materials of non-petroleum origin like non-food biomass seems to be one of the promising research areas. Much attention is paid to the processes of converting aqueous ethanol obtained from biomass processing into value-added organic products, namely 1-butanol [1].
Carbon-supported Mg-Al oxide (hydrotalcite-derived) hybrid systems were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, low-temperature nitrogen ad(de)sorption, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, and temperature-programmed desorption of NH3, CO2, and H2O. Higher values of ethanol conversion and selectivity towards 1-butanol are achieved in the presence of Mg-Al/AC hybrid catalysts than over individual components, namely Mg-Al oxide system and activated carbon (coconut charcoal). This is caused by an increase in the number of active sites over the catalyst surface, namely acid-base pairs [Mg-O-Al] and the sites in the interface between Mg-Al oxide phase and activated carbon. Mg-Al/AC catalysts showed a higher stability of operation over time-on-stream, including in the conversion of aqueous ethanol, as compared to Mg-Al oxide system. The observed lifetime prolongation of Mg-Al/AC catalysts and higher water tolerance are suggested to be a result of a cooperative effect of the active oxide phase and activated carbon support.

1.	Landau M.V., Hos T., Nehemya R.V., Nomikos G., Herskowitz M. Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Process for Converting Hydrous Bioethanol to Butanol // Catalysts.-2021.-11.-P. 498.