Catalytic Conversion of Low Alcohol to Hydrocarbons: Challenges, Prospects, and Future Work Considerations

Abstract

Energy sources will contribute enormously to global economic development in the coming years. Global energy sectors mainly depend on fossil fuels, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. With the threat of declining oil supplies and the need to reduce CO2 emissions, the development of viable substitutes for fossil fuels is high on the global priority list. Currently, there is an increased focus on using low alcohols as fuels and petrochemicals. Catalytic conversion is a viable approach for upgrading low alcohols to fuels and value-added chemicals. This review study shows that optimal catalyst modification improves catalytic performance in the volarization of bioethanol. Heterogeneous catalysts are widely used in bioethanol conversion due to their activity. However, further studies are needed to address the challenges of limited selectivity, catalyst deactivation, recovery, and regeneration for improved biofuel production.