Biochar-MgO from Soursop Seeds in the Production of Biofuel Additive Intermediates

The conversion of residual biomass from fruit seeds into biochar can be achieved using MgCl2 as an activating agent and calcining at 700 degrees C. The resulting MgO-biochars were employed in the aldol condensation reaction between furfural and acetone. This reaction is essential as the first step in the obtention of biofuels derived from biomass. The biochars were characterized through various physicochemical techniques, revealing that the presence of MgO nanoparticles deposited on the carbon surface modifies the structural and acidic-basic properties of the carbonaceous materials with a graphitic structure. The biochar with a surface content of MgO of 0.34 % w/w enables the achievement of 100 % of selectivity towards 4-(2-furanyl)-3-buten-2-one (I) with quantitative conversions under optimized conditions. This property highlights the potential of using this type of biochar, commonly used for CO2 capture, as a versatile acidic-basic catalyst, thereby introducing a novel approach to sustainable chemistry.

Automated summary

Conversion of fruit seed residual biomass into biochar using MgCl2 as an activating agent and applying it as an acidic-basic catalyst has shown high selectivity.