Preparation and characterization of acidic and magnetic carbons from yeast biomass and yeast biomass residue for use as heterogeneous catalysts
Catalysts are of paramount importance in processes for obtaining the most diverse chemical products and new fuels. Heterogeneous catalysis is easier to use and remove, and for that reason, there is a renewed focus on achieving more efficient heterogeneous catalysts. Agro-industrial waste stands out in the current scenario as they meet the ideals of sustainability to reduce impacts on the production chain and are in line with the bioeconomy. Brazil is the largest producer of sugarcane in the world and this industry is one of the largest generators of waste and by-products, which can have their added value in many different ways. Carbon-based solids, such as residues from the sugar-alcohol industry, have great potential in the area of catalysis, as they have high thermal stability, in addition to a porous structure and high surface acidity, which can be increased with later stages of synthesis. In the present work, different synthesis methodologies were applied to obtain possible heterogeneous catalysts based on biomass and biomass residue and the materials obtained were submitted to different methods of characterization of their physical and surface properties.