Dehydrogenation of 1,3-butanediol over Cu-based catalyst

Chemical Bonds Containing Hydrogen: Choices for Hydrogen Carriers and Catalysts

Compounds containing B─H, C─H, N─H, or O─H bonds with high hydrogen content have been extensively studied as potential hydrogen carriers. Their hydrogen storage performance is largely determined by the nature of these bonds, decomposition pathways, and the properties of the dehydrogenation products. Among these compounds, methanol, cyclohexane, and ammonia stand out due to their low costs and established infrastructure, making them promising hydrogen carriers for large-scale storage and transport. They offer viable pathways for decarbonizing society by enabling hydrogen to serve as a clean energy source. However, several challenges persist, including the high temperatures required for (de)hydrogenation, slow kinetics, and the reliance on costly catalysts. To address these issues, strategies such as chemical modification and catalyst development are being pursued to improve hydrogen cycling performance. This review highlights recent progress in hydrogen carriers with B─H, C─H, N─H, or O─H bonds. It examines the fundamental characteristics of these bonds and carriers, as well as advances in catalyst development. Our objective is to offer a comprehensive understanding of current state of hydrogen carriers and identify future research directions, such as molecular modification and system optimization. Innovations in these areas are crucial to advance hydrogen storage technologies for a large-scale hydrogen deployment.

Electrochemistry for the generation of renewable chemicals: electrochemical conversion of levulinic acid

Levulinic acid as a platform for electrochemical synthesis: electrochemical conversion of levulinic acid and its primary products is presented as a promising alternative for the generation of renewable chemicals and biofuels and for energy storage.

Upgrading of diols by gas-phase dehydrogenation and dehydration reactions on bifunctional Cu-based oxides

A bifunctional ZCuMgAl (Z = 0.3–61.2 wt.% Cu) catalyst converts biomass-derived diols into valuable hydroxyketones or saturated and unsaturated ketones and alcohols depending on the Cu loading.

Engineering of glycerol dehydrogenase for improved activity towards 1, 3-butanediol

The objective of this study was to use protein engineering techniques to enhance the catalytic activity of glycerol dehydrogenase (GlyDH) on racemic 1, 3-butanediol (1, 3-BDO) for the bioproduction of the important pharmaceutical intermediate 4-hydroxy-2-butanone. Three GlyDH genes (gldA) from Escherichia coli K-12, Salmonella enterica, and Klebsiella pneumoniae MGH78578 were shuffled to generate a random mutagenesis library. The nitroblue tetrazolium/phenazine methosulfate high throughput screening protocol was used to select four chimeric enzymes with up to a 2.6-fold improved activity towards 1, 3-BDO. A rational design method was also employed to further improve the enzyme activity after DNA shuffling. Based on the homology model of GlyDH (Escherichia coli), Asp121 was predicted to influence 1, 3-BDO binding and replaced with Ala by site-directed mutagenesis. Combination of the mutations from both DNA shuffling and rational design produced the best mutant with a V (max) value of 126.6 U/mg, a 26-fold activity increase compared with that of the wild type GlyDH from E. coli.