#1. Purdue University School of Chemical Engineering GRADUATE SEMINAR SERIES Prof. James A. Dumesic University of Wisconsin - Madison "Strategies for Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Hydrogen and Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels" Tuesday, April 10, 2012 9:00-10:15 a.m. FRNY G140 Reception at 8:30 a.m. in FRNY Atrium Abstract: Environmental and political issues created by our dependence on fossil fuels, such as global warming and national security, combined with diminishing petroleum resources are causing our society to search for new renewable sources of energy and chemicals. We will introduce strategies for catalytic conversion of biomass-derived carbohydrates to produce H2 and CO2 for fuel cell applications, to generate H2 and CO for synthesis gas applications, or to produce liquid alkanes for transportation fuels. We will also present a cascade catalytic process for conversion of cellulose to gasoline or jet fuel, passing through the intermediate formation of levulinic acid and -valerolactone. Bio: James A. Dumesic earned his B.S. degree from UW-Madison and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Stanford University, under the supervision of Professor Michel Boudart. Dumesic joined the Department of Chemical Engineering in 1976, and he is currently the Steenbock Chair in the College of Engineering and the Michel Boudart Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Throughout his career, Dumesic has used spectroscopic, microcalorimetric, and reaction kinetics techniques to study the surface and dynamic properties of heterogeneous catalysts. Dumesic pioneered the field of microkinetic analysis, in which diverse information from experimental and theoretical studies is combined to elucidate the essential surface chemistry that controls catalyst performance. He has recently studied how aqueous-phase reforming of biomass-derived carbohydrates can be tailored to selectively produce H2 or directed to produce liquid alkanes. Most recently, he has been studying the use of levulinic acid and -valerolactone as biomass-derived platform chemicals for the production of fuels and chemicals. Dumesic has published more than 370 papers in peer-reviewed journals. Various information about research conducted by the Dumesic group can be found at the following link: http://www.engr.wisc.edu/che/ #2. Research Lecture James A. Dumesic Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering University of Wisconsin - Madison "Catalytic Conversion of Hemi-Cellulose and Cellulose to Fuels and Chemicals" Wednesday, April 11, 2012 11:30 am- 12:30 pm FRNY 3059 The conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fuels and chemicals requires the effective utilization of the C5 and C6 sugars present in hemi-cellulose and cellulose, respectively. We will address how the hemi-cellulose fraction of lignocellulosic biomass can be converted to furfural and levulinic acid using biphasic reactors with alkylphenol solvents, and we will address the conversion of levulinic acid to gamma-valerolactone (GVL) in these solvents. In addition, we will show how various biomass-derived solvents can be used to extract levulinic acid produced by deconstruction of the cellulose in aqueous solutions of mineral acids. Finally, we will address the decarboxylation of GVL to produce butene over solid acid catalysts, combined with the oligomerization of butene to produce liquid transportation fuels.