Biomass Group, Nanjing Agricultural University, PO Box 68, 40 Dianjiangtai Road, Nanjing 210031

Production of Liquefied Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Based Polyols via Microwave Heating

Recently, Mr. UA Amran (a PhD student from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia) supervised by Profs. S Zakaria and Zhen Fang produced polyols from oil palm wastes using microwave.

Optimization of microwave-assisted liquefaction of oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber (EFB) and cellulose (EFBC) in ethylene glycol (EG) was carried out to produce polyols. The liquefaction residues and hydroxyl numbers of the resultant polyols from respective sources were studied and compared. EFB produced a minimum residue of 3.22% at the optimal parameters of 160 °C and 15 min. Meanwhile, optimum liquefaction of EFBC produced 1.03% residue at 175 °C and 40 min. The maximum hydroxyl numbers of both EFB (749.22 mg KOH/g) and EFBC (639.91 mg KOH/g) polyols were obtained at optimum conditions. FTIR analysis revealed the degradation mechanism of cellulose and lignin in EFB at different temperatures. Lignin was found to be liquefied easily at lower temperatures (130 and 145 °C). However, most of the cellulose began to be liquefied at the optimum temperature (160 °C) and severely degraded at higher temperatures (175 and 190 °C).

Related results were published:
1. UA Amran, S Zakaria*, CH Chia, Zhen Fang*, MZ Masli, Production of Liquefied Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) Based Polyols via Microwave Heating, Energy & Fuels, 31(10), 10975–10982 (2017).

通过微波加热，液化棕榈油果的空壳生产多元醇

生物能源组与Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia联合培养的博士生UA Amran先生在导师S Zakaria和方真教授指导下，利用微波反应系统液化棕榈油果的空壳生产多元醇。相关研究结果以“Production of Liquefied Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) Based Polyols via Microwave Heating”,为题发表在国际专业期刊Energy & Fuels, 31(10), 10975–10982 (2017)。

“Production of Biofuels and Chemicals with Bifunctional Catalysts” (Hardcover ISBN978-981-10-5136-4) edited by Profs. Zhen Fang and Richard L. Smith Jr., and Dr. Hu Li is published by Springer:

http://www.springer.com/cn/book/9789811051364

Catalytic processes in multiple steps are typically required in the selective conversion of biomass derivatives into value-added chemicals and biofuels. Much effort has been made in the past decades toward the integration of different types of catalytic transformations with a bifunctional catalyst to improve reaction efficiency, enhance product selectivity, and promote specific reaction pathways. This book provides state-of-the-art reviews, current research, prospects, and challenges of production of platform chemicals (e.g., hexose, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, furfural, and levulinic acid) and liquid biofuels (e.g.,biodiesel, 2,5-dimethylfuran, 2-methylfuran, and γ-valerolactone) from sustainable biomass resources with cooperative catalytic processes that include heterogeneous bifunctional chemocatalysis (acid-base, Bronsted-Lewis acid, and metal-acid) and combined bio-/chemo-catalytic routes. Fundamentals of bifunctional catalysis and catalysts, characterization reaction mechanism/pathways, methods for heterogeneous catalysts, the impact of catalyst design on the reactivity, and catalytic process integration are introduced. The application of biomass-derived compounds for the synthesis of commodity chemicals and liquid transportation fuels via various catalytic routes is also covered.

This book is the eighth book of the series entitled “Biofuels and Biorefineries,” and it contains 12 chapters contributed by leading experts in the field.

The text should be of interest to students, researchers, academicians, and industrialists who are working in the areas of catalysis, catalyst design, renewable energy, environmental and chemical sciences, engineering, resource development, biomass processing, sustainability, materials, biofuels, and chemical industries.

——————————————–

斯普林格新书《双功能催化剂生产生物燃料和化学品》出版

    由方真老师，日本东北大学Richard L. Smith Jr.教授和李虎博士主编的新书《Production of Biofuels and Chemicals with Bifunctional Catalysts》，最近由斯普林格公司出版发行。（精装，390页， Hardcover ISBN 978-981-10-5136-4, 2017）(http://www.springer.com/cn/book/9789811051364)。

    本书（12章）提供了生产生物燃料和化学品的最新评论、研究现状、前景和挑战。如生产呋喃生物燃料、生物柴油、羧酸、多元醇和从木质纤维素生物质生产别的生物燃料等、糠醛、合成气和用双功能催化剂合成戊内酯。包括用催化，并结合生物和化学催化过程。

    催化材料的双功能特性不仅仅是使用多功能固体材料作为活化剂的概念，而且在这样一种方式下设计材料，催化材料具有协同作用的特点，促进一连串的转换，性能大大优于简单混合单功能催化剂的转化。本书是为催化、能源、化工和生物质转化领域的研究人员、学者和实业家设计的参考书。读者会发现章节中包含实用和重要的丰富信息，用化学催化和生物技术评估各种生物燃料和化学品的生产和应用。

   该书是斯普林格系列丛书“生物燃料和生物炼制- Biofuels and Biorefineries”（方真老师担任该丛书总编辑）出版的第八本专著，也是方真老师自2009年以来，编著出版的第十五部英语专著。

Prof. Zhen Fang Won “2016 Most Cited Chinese Researchers” in Energy by Elsevier, He also won the award in 2014 and 2015. [China ranks the first in total citation and citation of the influential research papers (Top10％) in engineering, 2013-2015]

方老师获爱思唯尔能源领域“2016年中国高被引学者”，他2014和2015也进入“中国高被引学者”榜单。

Based on the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) document Kefa Hanzhi[2017]#428, Prof. Zhen Fang won 2017 “CAS Excellent Supervisor Award“.

http://www.bfse.cas.cn/tzgg/201709/t20170922_4615565.html

At the same time, according to the document Kefa Hanzhi[2017]#427，his PhD student Dr. Fan Zhang won 2017 “CAS  excellent PhD dissertation“, with title “Production of carbon based magnetic catalysts for the green synthesis of biodiesel”.

http://www.bfse.cas.cn/tzgg/201709/t20170922_4615556.html

Congratulations!

据中国科学院科发函字〔2017〕 428号，方老师获2017年度中国科学院优秀导师奖。

http://www.bfse.cas.cn/tzgg/201709/t20170922_4615565.html

据科发函字〔2017〕 427号, 方老师指导的博士生张帆，博士论文 《碳基磁性催化剂制备及其催化合成生物柴油绿色工艺研究》获2017“中国科学院优秀博士学位论文”

http://www.bfse.cas.cn/tzgg/201709/t20170922_4615556.html

该论文围绕利用小桐子果壳、种皮和竹粉等热带生物质废弃物替代传统葡萄糖和活性炭为碳质材料，制备出多种可磁场分离的新型碳基磁性固体酸/碱催化剂（ZL 201610754946.6，ZL 201410764721.X）；并通过多种表征分析方法详细阐述了反应与合成机理；最后利用自主设计组建的连续流动釜式反应装置（ZL 201620978132.6，ZL 201420785283.0）协同催化剂高效清洁合成生物柴油，以此实现了废弃植物残渣综合利用制备催化剂并用于合成生物柴油及副产物甘油转化的绿色工艺研究。

Springer book “Production of Platform Chemicals from Sustainable Resources” was published

Recently, Springer has published a book entitled “Production of Platform Chemicals from Sustainable Resources” edited by Profs. Zhen Fang, Richard L. Smith Jr. and Xinhua Qi, Springer, Hardcover ISBN978-981-10-4171-6, 475 pages, 2017 (http://www.springer.com/cn/book/9789811041716).

With increasing concerns on environmental pollution and global warming that resulted from traditional fossil resource applications, much progress has been made in the past few years in developing catalytic reaction systems and chemistries for the conversion of various biomass resources into platform chemicals. This text provides state-of-the-art reviews, current research, prospects, and challenges of production of platform chemicals such as C6 sugars, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, furfural, γ-valerolactone, xylitol, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, levulinic acid, ethanol, and others from sustainable biomass resources with processes that include heterogeneous catalysis, ionic liquid, hydrothermal/solvothermal, electrochemical, and fermentation methods. Reaction mechanism, methods for product separation and purification, and process integration are introduced. The application of these chemicals and their derivatives for synthesizing commodity chemicals via various routes is also covered.

This book contains 14 chapters contributed by leading experts in the field. The text is arranged into five key areas:

Part I: Production of Sugars (Chap. 1)

Part II: Production of Aldehydes (Chaps. 2, 3, and 4)

Part III: Production of Acids (Chaps. 5, 6, 7, and 8)

Part IV: Production of Alcohols (Chaps. 9, 10, 11 and 12)

Part V: Production of Lactones and Amino Acids (Chaps. 13 and 14)

The text should be of interest to students, researchers, academicians, and industrialists who are working in the areas of renewable energy, environmental and chemical sciences, engineering, resource development, biomass processing, sustainability, materials, biofuels, and chemical industries.

This book is the seventh book of the Springer series entitled, “Biofuels and Biorefineries” (Prof. Zhen Fang is serving as Editor-in-Chief), and the fourteenth English book edited/authored by Prof. Zhen Fang since 2009.

Biofuels and Biorefineries：

http://www.springer.com/series/11687?detailsPage=titles

斯普林格新书《可持续资源生产平台化学品》出版

由方真老师，日本东北大学Richard L. Smith Jr.教授和农业部环境保护科研监测所漆新华教授主编的新书Production of Platform Chemicals from Sustainable Resources》，最近由斯普林格公司出版发行。（精装，475页， ISBN 978-981-10-4171-6, 2017）(http://www.springer.com/cn/book/9789811041716)。

由于传统化石资源大量应用, 人们对环境污染和全球变暖日益关注。在过去的几年中，利用催化反应系统和化学、生物方法，将各种生物质资源转化为平台化学品方面取得了很大的进展。

本书回顾了, 最新研究、前景和生产平台化学品的挑战。这些平台化学品包括C6糖类、5-羟甲基糠醛、糠醛、伽马-戊内酯、木糖醇、 2,5-呋喃二甲酸、乙酰丙酸、乙醇和其他来自可持续生物质资源合成的化学品。合成的方法和过程, 包括非均相催化、离子液体、水热/溶剂热、电化学和发酵方法等。本书还介绍了反应机理、产物分离、纯化方法和工艺集成。

最后，本书涵盖了这些化学品及其衍生物合成为商品化学品的各种途径。

本书包含14章，由来自世界各地该领域的顶尖专家撰写，每章均被同行评审和编辑以提高文本的质量、研究范围和覆盖的主题。该书包括五个关键领域：

第一部分：生产糖类（第1章）

第二部分：生产醛类（第2-4章）

第三部分：产酸类（第5-8章）

第四部分：生产醇类（第9-12章）

第五部分：内酯和氨基酸的生产（第13和章）

本书在可再生能源、环境与化学科学、工程、资源开发、生物质加工、可持续性、材料、生物燃料和化学工业等领域提供了全面的信息。它为生物化学和能源领域的学生，研究人员，学者和实业家提供了宝贵的学术资源。

该书是斯普林格系列丛书“生物燃料和生物炼制- Biofuels and Biorefineries”（方真老师担任该丛书总编辑）出版的第七本专著，也是方真老师自2009年以来，编著出版的第十四部英语专著

生物燃料和生物炼制丛书：

http://www.springer.com/series/11687?detailsPage=titles。

方真老师2007年初全职回国后， 自2009以来出版的十五部英文专著：

Springer Book Series – Biofuels and Biorefineries: Titles

1.Production of Biofuels and Chemicals with Ionic Liquids, 2013, edited by Zhen Fang, R. L. Smith, Jr., X. Qi 

2.Near-critical and Supercritical Water and Their Applications for Biorefineries, 2014, edited by Zhen Fang, C Xu