Importance of basic sites on ZnO surfaces for bioethanol valorization

Abstract

One of the major products of biomass conversion is ethanol, which can be the raw material to manufacture a number of chemical products. For example, dehydrogenation of ethanol using basic catalysts leads to acetaldehyde, which has been categorized as one of the promising bioethanol derivates from a sustainable perspective. One of the materials that catalyzes this reaction is ZnO, which crystallizes in a wurtzite-type structure, where the polar faces, (0001) and ( ), are located perpendicular to the c-axis while the nonpolar ones), are parallel to it. The polar/nonpolar facet ratio is often argued to be a key aspect in the photochemical catalytic activity. However, unlike in photocatalysis, in this reaction very little is known concerning the direct relation between ZnO morphology (i.e. polar/nonpolar facet ratio) and its catalytic performances. In this communication we present the catalytic properties of six polycrystalline ZnO samples used in the decomposition of ethanol.