Non Technical Summary
The development of mild chemical methods that can convert raw cellulose to biofuels, or precursors thereof, is one of the the primary focuses of the work proposed herein. At the same time there is a significant lack of information within the community regarding biofuels. The extension component of the project will focus on developing a strategy for accelerating production and use of biofuels specifically in the Northeast. The regional focus is imperative both because of the relatively high per capita oil consumption in the Northeast and because the land use characteristics in our region preclude cost-effective use of first generation biofuel feedstocks.

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
511	7299	2000	100%

Knowledge Area
511 - New and Improved Non-Food Products and Processes;

Subject Of Investigation
7299 - Research equipment and methods, general/other;

Field Of Science
2000 - Chemistry;

Goals / Objectives
This proposal will integrate research into novel methods of chemical conversion of cellulose to biofuels with an outcome driven extension program designed to increase supply of and demand for biofuel in the northeast. Our research efforts will focus on developing novel solid supported acid catalysis methods to convert cellulose into glucose and related biofuel feedstocks. Our preliminary research results are promising with approximately 10 % conversion with recyclable catalysts. We hypothesize that similar solid supported acid catalyst in combination with cellulose solubilizing agents will improve conversion rates and recyclability. The objectives of the extension component of the project include: 1) assessment of the current and future potential supply of biofuels for the Northeast region of the US; 2) assessment of the current consumption of biofuels; 3) evaluation of the constraints and barriers to increasing both supply and demand; 4) development and implementation of an Extension outreach strategy to address barriers and ultimately to accelerate production and use of biofuels specifically in the Northeast.

Project Methods
Development of Novel Solid Supported Catalysts. Our initial investigations were focused on two types of solid supported catalysts, Nafion SAC 13 and FeCl3/silica. The Nafion SAC 13 catalyst had superior performance and recyclability. However, Nafion SAC 13 is an expensive solid supported acid catalyst. Thus we are interested in investigating lower cost solid supported catalysts. In particular, we are interested in poly(styrenesulfonic acid) (PSSA). Preliminary investigations of commercially available PSSA beads suggest that PSSA has comparable reactivity and recyclability to Nafion SAC 13 at about 3 % of the cost. Therefore, we will focus out efforts at optimization of PSSA/silica catalysts. PSSA will be absorbed onto the surface of silica gel and alumina. The development of these heterogeneous catalysts is highly desirable because they are more readily adapted for use in large-scale batch reactors. These solid catalysts will be recovered after an attempted reaction by filtration and will be recycled through multiple reaction cycles to ascertain potential as recyclable catalysts. We will draw upon the expertise of the URI Outreach and Energy Center (the Center) to develop and implement an integrated extension effort to accelerate the production and use of biofuels in the Northeast. In addition to a long track record with outcome-based extension programs, most recently in the arena of sustainable energy, the Center houses and collaborates closely with Ocean State Clean Cities Coalition (OSCCC). The OSCCC is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Program and includes a suite of educational programs designed to promote alternative fuel use including biofuels. Specific extension objectives are outlined below. Assessment of biofuel supply and demand Using existing sources of information, we will document current production of biofuels in the Northeast. We will then estimate the total potential production of energy from biomass using estimates of the power densities of various feedstocks as an upper bound on the power available from all plant-based sources. We will conduct a literature search to compile an estimate of the existing demand (consumption) of biofuels. The network of information sources and expertise available via the OSCCC program will be used to expedite this task.