High energy density renewable fuels based on multicyclic sesquiterpene: Synthesis and performance

• Published in: Fuel (Guildford) 2022-06, Vol.318, p.123665, Article 123665
• Main Authors: Wang, Wei, Liu, Yakun, Shi, Chengxiang, Pan, Lun, Zhang, Xiangwen, Zou, Ji-Jun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alternative energy sources; Biodiesel fuels; Biofuel; Biofuels; Carbon; Cyclopropanation; Delay time; Emissions; Energy; Flux density; Fossil fuels; High energy density fuel; Ignition temperature; Renewable fuels; Sesquiterpene; Synthesis
• ISSN: 0016-2361; 1873-7153
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2022.123665

•Four sesquiterpene-based renewable biofuels were synthesized.•Cyclopropanation enhances energy density and hydrogenation maintains good low-temperature characters.•As-prepared biofuels possess density of 0.925–0.965 g/mL and volumetric energy is up to 41.51 MJ/L.•The minimum ignition temperature and ignition delay time of biofuels are shortened by 46–108 °C and 27.0–71.4%, respectively, compared with JP-10 fuel. Considering the global carbon emissions and ambition of carbon neutrality, renewable fuels synthesized from biomass have great application prospects. Herein we adopted hydrogenation and cyclopropanation to synthesize four biofuels using α-cedrene and longifolene as feedstocks. Specifically, the modified Simmons-Smith method was used to synthesize cyclopropanated biofuels with a yield greater than 80% under the optimized conditions. The as-prepared biofuels possess the density of 0.925–0.965 g/mL, and the volumetric energy of 39.45–41.51 MJ/L. Additionally, the minimum ignition temperature and ignition delay time of the synthesized biofuels are shortened by 46–108 °C and 27.0–71.4%, respectively, compared with the widely used JP-10 fuel. The synthesized sesquiterpene-based biofuels have good potential to as alternative of high energy density fossil fuels like JP-10.