(2026) Renewable Energy_Thermochemical bioalcohol production from butyric acid using methanol as an in-situ hydrogen source

Kim M.; Lee S.; Lee T.; Chen W.-H.; Lee J.; Lee D.; Kwon E.E.

(Elsevier Ltd) Renewable Energy ISSN: 9601481 Vol.267 Issue. Article No.125780 DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2026.125780

Biobutanol is a promising substitute for gasoline, and thermochemical processes offer a solution to the low yields caused by microbial deactivation in conventional biological methods for butanol production. Given that butyric acid, a primary intermediate from the anaerobic digestion of food waste, has a suitable carbon chain length for butanol production, this study proposes a novel thermochemical approach for biobutanol production through the hydrogenation of food waste-derived butyric acid using methanol as an in-situ hydrogen source. A calcium oxide-based catalyst was synthesised from industrial waste by incorporating steel slag as the calcium source and a polyester textile as the functional support. The synergistic effect of calcium oxide and oxygen-functionalized supports enhanced methanol dehydrogenation at moderate temperatures (<450 °C), facilitating butanol conversion. The reaction occurred in a single step, wherein methanol and butyric acid were chemisorbed onto the catalyst, followed by the simultaneous dehydrogenation of methanol and hydrogenation of chemisorbed butyric acid. This process achieved a maximum C₄-C₇ alcohol yield of 67.2% within 1 min at 440 °C, with 81.1% selectivity toward 1-butanol. Compared with conventional hydrogenation processes, this strategy simplifies production steps and provides a scalable and sustainable route for biobutanol synthesis. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean Government (MSIT) (Grant numbers: RS-2023-NR077231 and RS-2024-00412457).