From Lignocellulose to Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Innovative Synthesis through Friedel–Crafts Alkylation and Hydrodeoxygenation

To address the aviation sector's growing carbon footprint, this study presents a novel route for producing sustainable aviation fuel precursors via acid-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts alkylation of wood-derived lignin monomers with furfuryl alcohol. Using guaiacol as a model compound, key catalytic requirements were investigated in batch mode. Although heterogeneous zeolites showed initial promise, pore blocking by oligomerized furfuryl alcohol limited performance, leading to the selection of para-toluenesulfonic acid as an effective homogeneous catalyst. A fed-batch strategy was employed to suppress oligomerization by controlling furfuryl alcohol concentration. The resulting alkylated products, structurally aligned with conventional kerosene, were further upgraded via metal-catalyzed hydrodeoxygenation, achieving final overall yields up to 92 C%.