Biomass-Derived 2,3-Butanediol and Its Application in Biofuels Production

Yuchen Bai (), Huiya Feng, Nan Liu and Xuebing Zhao ()
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Yuchen Bai: China Food Flavor and Nutrition Health Innovation Center, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
Huiya Feng: China Food Flavor and Nutrition Health Innovation Center, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
Nan Liu: Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Xuebing Zhao: Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 15, 1-25

Abstract: 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO) is an important biomass-derived platform chemical with various applications. Currently, the biological conversion of renewable carbon sources with bacteria or yeasts is a sustainable way to produce 2,3-BDO. Various carbon sources including glucose, glycerol, molasses and lignocellulose hydrolysate have been used for 2,3-BDO production, and the 2,3-BDO concentration in the fermentation broth can be higher than 150 g/L by optimizing the operating parameters with fed-batch operations. Various derivatives can be produced from 2,3-BDO, including isobutyraldehyde, 1,3-butadiene, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), diacetyl, etc.; among these, there is a large market demand for MEK and 1,3-butadiene each year. Some of the derivatives can be used as fuel additives or to produce biofuels. Generally, there are three ways to produce hydrocarbon fuels from 2,3-BDO, which are via the steps of dehydration, carbon chain extension, and hydrogenation (or hydrodeoxygenation), with MEK or 1,3-butadiene as the intermediates. C8–C16 alkanes can be produced by these routes, which can be potentially used as bio-jet fuels. This review article focuses on the microbial production of 2,3-BDO, the biomass feedstock used for fermentation, the recovery of 2,3-BDO from the fermentation broth as well as the downstream derivative products and their potential application in bio-jet fuel production. It was concluded that 2,3-BDO is a promising biomass-derived product, but its production and application in the biofuel field is still facing the problem of high production cost. Future work is recommended to develop more efficient processes to increase the 2,3-BDO yield and more advanced technologies to produce hydrocarbon fuels.

Keywords: 2,3-butanediol; platform chemical; biomass conversion; methyl ethyl ketone; biofuels (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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