Butanol Synthesis Routes for Biofuel Production: Trends and Perspectives

• Published in: Materials Vol. 12; no. 3; p. 350
• Main Authors: Kolesinska, Beata, Fraczyk, Justyna, Binczarski, Michal, Modelska, Magdalena, Berlowska, Joanna, Dziugan, Piotr, Antolak, Hubert, Kaminski, Zbigniew J, Witonska, Izabela A, Kregiel, Dorota
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 23.01.2019; MDPI
• Subjects: acetone–butanol–ethanol (ABE) fermentation; Acidification; Acids; Agricultural production; Bacteria; Biodiesel fuels; bioethanol; biofuel; Biomass; Biosynthesis; Butanol; Calorific value; Carbohydrates; Carbon; Chemical industry; Clostridium spp; Emission standards; Enzymes; Ethanol; Eutrophication; Fermentation; Fossil fuels; Gasoline; Gram-positive bacteria; Greenhouse effect; Greenhouse gases; Hydrophobicity; Lignocellulose; Liquid fuels; Metabolism; Photochemical smog; Review; Smog; Sugar; Synthesis; butanol; Clostridium spp; bioethanol; biofuel; acetone–butanol–ethanol (ABE) fermentation
• ISSN: 1996-1944; 1996-1944
• DOI: 10.3390/ma12030350

Butanol has similar characteristics to gasoline, and could provide an alternative oxygenate to ethanol in blended fuels. Butanol can be produced either via the biotechnological route, using microorganisms such as clostridia, or by the chemical route, using petroleum. Recently, interest has grown in the possibility of catalytic coupling of bioethanol into butanol over various heterogenic systems. This reaction has great potential, and could be a step towards overcoming the disadvantages of bioethanol as a sustainable transportation fuel. This paper summarizes the latest research on butanol synthesis for the production of biofuels in different biotechnological and chemical ways; it also compares potentialities and limitations of these strategies.