Heterogeneous Catalysis, Biomass and Coal

The escalating oil price draws our attention to alternative feedstocks for liquid fuels. Plants are the largest reserves of renewable carbon on Earth. To obtain desired products from them, it is necessary to understand the reactivity of their main constituents (cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose) and to invent catalysts able to handle simultaneously different chemical functionalities. This is a great challenge and it is also what our research group is aiming at.

Roberto Rinaldi

Dr. Roberto Rinaldi

Vita Awards Publications Official Functions

2010: Independent Group Leader (Sofja Kovalevskaja awardee, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation)
2009: Group Leader, MPI für Kohlenforschung (Prof. Ferdi Schüth)
2007: Post doctoral fellow, MPI für Kohlenforschung (Prof. Ferdi Schüth)
2007: Post doctoral fellow, Brazilian Synchrotron Laboratory (LNLS), Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil (Dr. Daniela Zanchet)
2003-2006: PhD work and graduate teaching assistant, UNICAMP (Prof. Ulf Schuchardt)
1999–2002: BSc. Chemistry, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
1979: Born September 8th in Campinas, Sao Paulo/Brazil

2010: Sofja Kovalevskaja Award - Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
2010: Thieme Chemistry Journal Award
2010: TMFB Outstanding Project Award 2010 der Shell Global Solutions
2009: Member of the Global Young Faculty - Mercator Foundation
2008: Award for outstanding PhD work, Evonik-Degussa and Brazilian Catalysis Society
2003: Lavoisier medal, outstanding student of chemistry, Sao Paulo Council of Chemistry

2003-2010: 15 invited lectures and oral presentations
2006: Academic exchange, RWTH-Aachen (Prof. Wolfgang Hölderich)
2004: Academic exchange, TU-Berlin (Prof. Herbert Schumann)

2011

R. Rinaldi*
Instantaneous dissolution of cellulose in organic electrolyte solutions.
Chemical Communications 2011, "Emerging Investigators" Special Issue

2010

G. Jäger, Z. Wu, K. Garschhammer, P. Engel, T. Klement, R. Rinaldi, A. Spiess, J. Büchs; Practical screening of purified cellobiohydrolases and endoglucanases with alpha-cellulose and specification of hydrodynamics.
Biotechnology for Biofuels 3, 18, 2010

J. M. C. Bueno, A. Ferreira, D. Zanchet, R. Rinaldi, U. Schuchardt, S. Damyanova;
Effect of the CeO₂ content on the surface and structural properties of CeO₂-Al₂O₃ mixed oxides prepared by sol-gel method.
Appl. Catal. A: Gen 388, 45-56, 2010

N. Meine, F. Benedito, R. Rinaldi* ;
Thermal stability of ionic liquids assessed by potentiometric titration.
Green Chemistry 12, 1711-1714, 2010

R. Rinaldi,* P. Engel, J. Büchs, A. C. Spiess,* F. Schüth*;
An integrated catalytic approach to fermentable sugars from cellulose.
ChemSusChem 3, 1151-1153, 2010

R. Rinaldi,* N. Meine, J. vom Stein, R. Palkovits, Ferdi Schüth*;
Which controls the depolymerization of cellulose in ionic liquids: the solid acid catalyst or cellulose?
ChemSusChem 3, 266-276, 2010; Special issue MPI EnerChem

R. Palkovits,* K. Tajvidi, J. Procelewska, R. Rinaldi, A. Ruppert;
Hydrogenolysis of cellulose combining mineral acids and hydrogenation catalysts.
Green Chemistry 12, 972-978, 2010

Y. Liu, H. Tüysüz, C.-J. Jia, M. Schwickardi, R. Rinaldi, A.-H. Lu, W. Schmidt, F. Schüth*
From glycerol to allyl alcohol: iron oxide catalyzed dehydration and consecutive hydrogen transfer ChemComm 46, 1238-1240, 2010

2009

R. Rinaldi,* F. Schüth*;
Acid hydrolysis of cellulose as the entry point into biorefinery schemes
ChemSusChem 2, 1096-1107, 2009

R. Rinaldi, F. Schüth*;
Design of solid catalysts for the conversion of biomass.
Energy & Environmental Science 2, 610-626, 2009

R. Rinaldi,* H. F. N. Oliveira, H. Schumann, U. Schuchardt;
Homogeneously catalyzed epoxidation of α,β-unsaturated ketones using simple aluminum salts and aqueous H₂O₂ –Is it possible?
Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical 307, 1-8, 2009

R. Rinaldi,* A. M. Porcari, T. C. R. Rocha, W. H. Cassinelli, R. U. Ribeiro, J. M. C. Bueno, D. Zanchet*;
Construction of heterogeneous Ni catalysts from supports and colloidal nanoparticles – A challenging puzzle.
Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical 301, 11-17, 2009

2008

R. Rinaldi, R. Palkovits, F. Schüth*;
Depolymerisation von Cellulose unter Einsatz heterogener Säurekatalysatoren in ionischen Flüssigkeiten. (Depolymerization of cellulose using solid catalysts in ionic liquids)
Chemie Ingenieur Technik 80, 1248-1248, 2008

R. Rinaldi, R. Palkovits, F. Schüth*;
Depolymerization of cellulose using solid catalysts in ionic liquids.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 47, 8047-8050, 2008

C. S. Araujo, D. Zanchet, R. Rinaldi, U. Schuchardt, C.E. Hori, J. L. G. Fierro, J. M. C. Bueno*;
The effects of La₂O₃ on the structural properties of La₂O₃-Al₂O₃ prepared by the sol–gel method and on the catalytic performance of Pt/La₂O₃-Al₂O₃ towards steam reforming and partial oxidation of methane.
Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 84, 552-562, 2008

A. Steffen, S. Teixeira, J. Sepulveda, R. Rinaldi, U. Schuchardt*;
Alumina-catalyzed Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of cyclohexanone with hydrogen peroxide.
Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical, 287, 41-44, 2008

R. Rinaldi,* P. L. O. Volpe, I. L. Torriani;
L-Tryptophan transport through a hydrophobic liquid membrane using AOT micelles: Dynamics of the process as revealed by small angle X-ray scattering.
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 318, 59-67, 2008

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Research Topics

Lignin: Lignin

Analyzing the composition of materials that contain cellulose (e.g. crop residues, straw, sugarcane bagasse, leaves and wood) reveals that lignin corresponds up to 30 % of plant biomass. Therefore, the success of the cellulosic biofuels also depends on finding uses for lignin. Our activities on lignin chemistry cover the extraction of lignin by the organosolv process, characterization of lignin and development of catalysts for lignin hydrogenolysis, oxidation and depolymerization.

Figure: The use of lignin poses a challenge for catalysis
Coal: Coal

The huge reserves of coal are estimated to last for the next 100 years. Considering that the production of biomass is seasonal, co-feeding biorefineries with coal emerges as an interesting process choice for the production of clean fuels. The similarity between the chemical structures of low ranking coals and lignin encourages us to develop integrated strategies to process coal and biomass together. Our activities on coal chemistry cover the direct coliquefaction of low ranking coals and biomass to produce liquid fuels.

Figure: Coal chemistry may fill the feedstock gap in the transition towards a renewable-based economy.
Cellulose: Cellulose

To use cellulose as material requires commonly its dissolution. From cellulosic solutions, the biopolymer is transformed into desirable products (e.g. rayon). Here, we are aiming at understanding the process of dissolution of cellulose in non-conventional solvent systems and at exploring the reactivity of cellulose in new solvent systems.