Developing high-quality bioenergy through multiple pathways

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People are well aware of the production of alcohol-based fuels and other products, such as ethanol, methanol, and others, from biomass, particularly certain organic wastes like agricultural straw, tree branches, and fallen leaves, through biotechnological methods. This is a direction for long-term exploration. Considering material recycling and reuse, the development of a circular economy, as well as the human living environment and its protection, it is both practically meaningful and necessary for the long term to follow this direction. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin in the United States have developed a new liquid fuel derived from plant fructose, converted into dimethylfuran liquid fuel; its energy density is comparable to that of petroleum, and it is 40% higher than that of ethanol. Plant fructose can be obtained not only from certain fruits such as apples and citrus, but also through the sugar conversion of waste plant materials like cellulose. With the help of enzyme technology, it can be transformed into a fuel that can be burned to produce energy – a fuel as efficient as petroleum, in other words, liquid fuel derived from the conversion of fructose into dimethyl furan. According to researchers, ethanol is currently the only renewable liquid fuel produced on a large scale, but it has some drawbacks: its energy density is relatively low, it is volatile, and it can become contaminated by absorbing moisture from the air ； Moreover, the distillation process used to separate ethanol from water consumes a large amount of energy. Nevertheless, “mixed ethanol” fuel has been commercialized and has seen development in practical applications. Therefore, the advantages of dimethylfuran liquid fuel are attracting increasing attention; it not only has a high energy content but also lacks the drawbacks of plant ethanol. It does not absorb water, and its volatility is low, making it easier to store. Although the industrialization and commercialization of such liquid fuels still face certain challenges at present, due to its ability to help reduce dependence on oil as well as its advantages that are comparable to those of petroleum fuels, researchers are committed to overcoming these difficulties in order to enable it to play a greater role.