Project

COupling BIocatalysis and heterogeneous CATalysis for the production of aviation fuel from renewable resources (COBICAT)

Code
BOF/IOP/2022/040
Duration
01 October 2022 → 30 September 2026
Funding
Regional and community funding: Special Research Fund
Promotor-spokesperson
Research disciplines
  • Engineering and technology
    • Biocatalysis
    • Heterogeneous catalysis
    • Catalysis and reacting systems engineering not elsewhere classified
    • Bioprocessing, bioproduction and bioproducts
Keywords
bio-based products sustainable aviation fuels Heterogeneous catalysis biocatalysis
 
Project description

The conversion of renewable resources (e.g. biomass, CO2, etc.) to medium- and high volume molecules via catalytic processes (e.g. homogeneous catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, biocatalysis, etc.) is one of the pillars of the bio-based transition. Yet, when considered individually, most catalytic technologies have intrinsic limitations and critical bottlenecks that hamper their development. Coupling biology and heterogeneous catalysis in tandem reactions has been postulated as a powerful way forward to circumvent individual process bottlenecks and establish novel, more cost-efficient and sustainable catalytic technologies to help make the transition to a bio-based society. COBICAT is an interdisciplinary project that will explore the coupling of biocatalysis and heterogeneous catalysis to produce aviation fuel from renewable resources, as a proof-of-concept to demonstrate the potential of such catalytic tandem coupling.