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Cornejo Ibergallartu, Alfonso

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Cornejo Ibergallartu

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Alfonso

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Ciencias

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InaMat2. Instituto de Investigación en Materiales Avanzados y Matemáticas

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0000-0001-8810-0062

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2417

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Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
  • PublicationOpen Access
    Innovative flow-through reaction system for the sustainable production of phenolic monomers from lignocellulose catalyzed by supported Mo2C
    (Wiley, 2024) Maisterra Udi, Maitane; Atienza Martínez, María; Hablich Alvarracin, Karina Lissett; Moreira, Rui; Martínez Merino, Víctor; Gandía Pascual, Luis; Cornejo Ibergallartu, Alfonso; Bimbela Serrano, Fernando; Ciencias; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Universidad Pública de Navarra - Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
    Molybdenum carbide supported on activated carbon (β-Mo2C/AC) has been tested as catalyst in the reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF) of lignocellulosic biomass both in batch and in Flow-Through (FT) reaction systems. High phenolic monomer yields (34 wt.%) and selectivity to monomers with reduced side alkyl chains (up to 80 wt.%) could be achieved in batch in the presence of hydrogen. FT-RCF were made with no hydrogen feed, thus via transfer hydrogenation from ethanol. Similar selectivity could be attained in FT-RCF using high catalyst/biomass ratios (0.6) and high molybdenum loading (35 wt.%) in the catalyst, although selectivity decreased with lower catalyst/biomass ratios or molybdenum contents. Regardless of these parameters, high delignification of the lignocellulosic biomass and similar monomer yields were observed in the FT mode (13-15 wt.%) while preserving the holocellulose fractions in the delignified pulp. FT-RCF system outperforms the batch reaction mode in the absence of hydrogen, both in terms of activity and selectivity to reduced monomers that is attributed to the two-step non-equilibrium processes and the removal of diffusional limitations that occur in the FT mode. Even though some molybdenum leaching was detected, the catalytic performance could be maintained with negligible loss of activity or selectivity for 15 consecutive runs.
  • PublicationOpen Access
    Extraction of phenolic compounds from populus salicaceae bark
    (MDPI, 2022) Autor, E.; Cornejo Ibergallartu, Alfonso; Bimbela Serrano, Fernando; Maisterra Udi, Maitane; Gandía Pascual, Luis; Martínez Merino, Víctor; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Ciencias; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate
    Lignocellulosic residues have the potential for obtaining high value-added products that could be better valorized if biorefinery strategies are adopted. The debarking of short-rotation crops yields important amounts of residues that are currently underexploited as low-grade fuel and could be a renewable source of phenolic compounds and other important phytochemicals. The isolation of these compounds can be carried out by different methods, but for attaining an integral valorization of barks, a preliminary extraction step for phytochemicals should be included. Using optimized extraction methods based on Soxhlet extraction can be effective for the isolation of phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties. In this study, poplar bark (Populus Salicaceae) was used to obtain a series of extracts using five different solvents in a sequential extraction of 24 h each in a Soxhlet extractor. Selected solvents were put in contact with the bark sample raffinate following an increasing order of polarity: n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water. The oily residues of the extracts obtained after each extraction were further subjected to flash chromatography, and the fractions obtained were characterized by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The total phenolic content (TPC) was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu method, and the antioxidant activity (AOA) of the samples was evaluated in their reaction with the free radical 2,2-Diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH method). Polar solvents allowed for higher individual extraction yields, with overall extraction yields at around 23% (dry, ash-free basis). Different compounds were identified, including hydrolyzable tannins, phenolic monomers such as catechol and vanillin, pentoses and hexoses, and other organic compounds such as long-chain alkanes, alcohols, and carboxylic acids, among others. An excellent correlation was found between TPC and antioxidant activity for the samples analyzed. The fractions obtained using methanol showed the highest phenolic content (608 g of gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/mg) and the greatest antioxidant activity.
  • PublicationOpen Access
    Innovative catalyst integration on transparent silicone microreactors for photocatalytic applications
    (Elsevier, 2022) Pellejero, Ismael; Clemente, Alberto; Reinoso, Santiago; Cornejo Ibergallartu, Alfonso; Navajas León, Alberto; Vesperinas Oroz, José Javier; Urbiztondo, Miguel A.; Gandía Pascual, Luis; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
    Reproducible and controllable incorporation and immobilization of catalysts and other active particles onto silicone microreactor channels is still challenging. In this work, we present an innovative fabrication protocol to attain affordable, custom-designed photocatalytic microreactors in a fast and simple manner. In this protocol, a 3D-printed ABS microreactor mold is first dip-coated with the photocatalyst, and subsequently, the catalytic layer is transferred onto the microchannel walls by indirect immobilization during the silicone casting and scaffold removal step. Serpentine-shaped microreactors have been satisfactorily fabricated with Au@POM-impregnated TiO2 nanoparticles (Au@POM/TiO2; Au 0.18 % w/w, POM: H3PW12O40) as the integrated photocatalytic layer. The suitability of our fabrication method has been validated on the basis of the excellent photocatalytic performance shown by the microreactors in a model test reaction such as the continuous-flow photoreduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol with NaBH4 and monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy.
  • PublicationOpen Access
    Exploring a low-cost valorization route for amazonian cocoa pod husks through thermochemical and catalytic upgrading of pyrolysis vapors
    (ACS Publications, 2023) Villasana, Yanet; Armenise, Sabino; Ábrego, Javier; Atienza Martínez, María; Hablich Alvarracin, Karina Lissett; Bimbela Serrano, Fernando; Cornejo Ibergallartu, Alfonso; Gandía Pascual, Luis; Ciencias; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
    Ecuador as an international leader in the production of cocoa beans produced more than 300 000 tons in 2021; hence, the management and valorization of the 2 MM tons of waste generated annually by this industry have a strategic and socioeconomic value. Consequently, appropriate technologies to avoid environmental problems and promote sustainable development and the bioeconomy, especially considering that this is a megadiverse country, are of the utmost relevance. For this reason, we explored a low-cost pyrolysis route for valorizing cocoa pod husks from Ecuador’s Amazonian region, aiming at producing pyrolysis liquids (bio-oil), biochar, and gas as an alternative chemical source from cocoa residues in the absence of hydrogen. Downstream catalytic processing of hot pyrolysis vapors using Mo- and/or Ni-based catalysts and standalone γ-Al2O3 was applied for obtaining upgraded bio-oils in a laboratory-scale fixed bed reactor, at 500 °C in a N2 atmosphere. As a result, bimetallic catalysts increased the bio-oil aqueous phase yield by 6.6%, at the expense of the organic phase due to cracking reactions according to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) results. Overall product yield remained constant, in comparison to pyrolysis without any downstream catalytic treatment (bio-oil ∼39.0–40.0 wt % and permanent gases 24.6–26.6 wt %). Ex situ reduced and passivated MoNi/γ-Al2O3 led to the lowest organic phase and highest aqueous phase yields. The product distribution between the two liquid phases was also modified by the catalytic upgrading experiments carried out, according to heteronuclear single-quantum correlation (HSQC), total correlation spectroscopy (TOCSY), and NMR analyses. The detailed composition distribution reported here shows the chemical production potential of this residue and serves as a starting point for subsequent valorizing technologies and/or processes in the food and nonfood industry beneficiating society, environment, economy, and research.
  • PublicationOpen Access
    Production of aromatic compounds by catalytic depolymerization of technical and downstream biorefinery lignins
    (MDPI, 2020) Cornejo Ibergallartu, Alfonso; Bimbela Serrano, Fernando; García Yoldi, Íñigo; Maisterra Udi, Maitane; Gandía Pascual, Luis; Martínez Merino, Víctor; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Ciencias; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua, PC036-037 Biovalorización; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
    Lignocellulosic materials are promising alternatives to non-renewable fossil sources when producing aromatic compounds. Lignins from Populus salicaceae., Pinus radiata and Pinus pinaster from industrial wastes and biorefinery effluents were isolated and characterized. Lignin was depolymerized using homogenous (NaOH) and heterogeneous (Ni-, Cu-or Ni-Cu-hydrotalcites) base catalysis and catalytic hydrogenolysis using Ru/C. When homogeneous base catalyzed depolymerization (BCD) and Ru/C hydrogenolysis were combined on poplar lignin, the aromatics amount was ca. 11 wt.%. Monomer distributions changed depending on the feedstock and the reaction conditions. Aqueous NaOH produced cleavage of the alkyl side chain that was preserved when using modified hydrotalcite catalysts or Ru/C-catalyzed hydrogenolysis in ethanol. Depolymerization using hydrotalcite catalysts in ethanol produced monomers bearing carbonyl groups on the alkyl side chain. The analysis of the reaction mixtures was done by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and diffusion ordered nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (DOSY NMR).31P NMR and heteronuclear single quantum coherence spectroscopy (HSQC) were also used in this study. The content in poly-(hydroxy)-aromatic ethers in the reaction mixtures decreased upon thermal treatments in ethanol. It was concluded that thermo-solvolysis is key in lignin depolymerization, and that the synergistic effect of Ni and Cu provided monomers with oxidized alkyl side chains.
  • PublicationOpen Access
    The 3D-printing fabrication of multichannel silicone microreactors for catalytic applications
    (MDPI, 2023) Ibáñez de Garayo Quilchano, Alejandro; Imizcoz Aramburu, Mikel; Maisterra Udi, Maitane; Almazán, Fernando; Sanz Carrillo, Diego; Bimbela Serrano, Fernando; Cornejo Ibergallartu, Alfonso; Pellejero, Ismael; Gandía Pascual, Luis; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
    Microstructured reactors (MSRs) are especially indicated for highly demanding heterogeneous catalysis due to the small channel dimensions that minimize diffusional limitations and enhance mass and heat transport between the fluid and the catalyst. Herein, we present the fabrication protocol of the fused filament 3D printing of silicone monolithic microreactors based on a multichannel design. Microchannels of 200 to 800 µm in width and up to 20 mm in length were developed following the scaffold-removal procedure using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) as the material for the 3D-printed scaffold fabrication, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the building material, and acetone as the ABS removing agent. The main printing parameters such as temperature and printing velocity were optimized in order to minimize the bridging effect and filament collapsing and intercrossing. Heterogeneous catalysts were incorporated into the microchannel walls during fabrication, thus avoiding further post-processing steps. The nanoparticulated catalyst was deposited on ABS scaffolds through dip coating and transferred to the microchannel walls during the PDMS pouring step and subsequent scaffold removal. Two different designs of the silicone monolithic microreactors were tested for four catalytic applications, namely liquid-phase 2-nitrophenol photohydrogenation and methylene blue photodegradation in aqueous media, lignin depolymerization in ethanol, and gas-phase CO2 hydrogenation, in order to investigate the microreactor performance under different reaction conditions (temperature and solvent) and establish the possible range of applications.
  • PublicationOpen Access
    Acid-catalyzed etherification of glycerol with tert-butanol: reaction monitoring through a complete identification of the produced alkyl ethers
    (MDPI, 2023) Cornejo Ibergallartu, Alfonso; Reyero Zaragoza, Inés; Campo Aranguren, Idoia; Arzamendi Manterola, María Cruz; Gandía Pascual, Luis; Ciencias; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2
    Higher tert-Butyl glycerol ethers (tBGEs) are interesting glycerol derivatives that can be produced from tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) and glycerol using an acid catalyst. Glycerol tert-butylation is a complex reaction that leads to the formation of five tBGEs (two monoethers, two diethers, and one triether). In order to gain insight into the reaction progress, the present work reports on the monitoring of glycerol etherification with TBA and p-toluensulfonic acid (PTSA) as homogeneous catalysts. Two analytical techniques were used: gas chromatography (GC), which constitutes the benchmark method, and( 1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (H-1 NMR), whose use for this purpose has not been reported to date. A method for the quantitative analysis of tBGEs and glycerol based on H-1 NMR is presented that greatly reduced the analysis time and relative error compared with GC-based methods. The combined use of both techniques allowed for a complete quantitative and qualitative description of the glycerol tert-butylation progress. The set of experimental results collected showed the influence of the catalyst concentration and TBA/glycerol ratio on the etherification reaction and evidenced the intrinsic difficulties of this process to achieve high selectivities and yields to the triether.