Photothermal catalytic conversion of nonanoic acid into bio-jet fuel-range alkanes

The substitution of petroleum-derived jet fuel with biomass-derived alternatives is a promising strategy to address the energy crisis and reduce fossil-resource dependence. However, the efficient conversion of biomass-derived feedstocks into bio-jet fuel-range alkanes remains challenging because of low conversion efficiency, unfavorable product distribution, and high processing cost. Herein, a Pt-based multifunctional composite catalyst, Pt/Al 2 O 3 –TiO 2 –MCM-41 PATM, was developed for the photothermal catalytic conversion of nonanoic acid into bio-jet fuel-range alkanes. By integrating Pt active sites with composite supports, the catalyst was designed to regulate hydrodeoxygenation/decarboxylation activity, acidity, and pore structure. Structural and acidic characterizations showed that the catalyst composition strongly influenced the pore properties, acid-site distribution, and relative product distribution. Among the catalysts tested, PATM exhibited the best performance, achieving nearly complete conversion of nonanoic acid and a 65.2% relative peak-area proportion of n-octane under identical GC-MS analysis conditions. The low Pt loading of 0.6 wt% may also contribute to reduced catalyst cost. These results suggest a promising photothermal catalytic strategy for producing bio-jet fuel-range alkane products from biomass-derived fatty acids.