Preparation of Cellulose Nanowhiskers and Their Applications on Liquid Fuels Production

In this study, cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs) were prepared from raw biomass materials and used as a catalyst support to synthesize iron-based nano catalysts for converting syngas to liquid hydrocarbons. The biomass materials used for preparing CNWs included cotton linters, kenaf bast, and switchgrass. The yields and physicochemical properties of CNWs prepared from these materials were determined and compared. Iron nano catalysts supported on CNWs were synthesized and evaluated for their activity on syngas conversion to liquid hydrocarbons via Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. CNWs-supported iron catalysts showed very promising activity on CO conversion and synthesis of liquid hydrocarbons. Moreover, compared to nanofibers, CNWs-supported iron catalysts had higher stability and higher selectivity towards liquid hydrocarbons. Our study demonstrated the feasibility of developing potential cost-effective nano catalysts for liquid fuels production from domestic sources.