Catalytic Conversion of Ethanol to Liquid Hydrocarbons by Tin-Promoted Raney Nickel Supported on Alumina

The vast utilization of petroleum majorly affects the economy and the environment. Due to this impact, researchers have shown a great interest in synthesizing of biomass-derived products, and these products replace petroleum utility in transportation as fuel. Ethanol from biomass is an essential component of the gasoline pool; however, ethanol is not an ideal candidate as a liquid fuel due to its low energy density and high solubility in water. Therefore, it is of high interest to convert ethanol to a more traditional liquid hydrocarbon that can be combined with petroleum-derived fuels. Here, we report the use of a cost-effective catalyst, tin-promoted Raney nickel, for the effective conversion of ethanol to liquid hydrocarbons (up to C17), with reduced aromatic content.