Engineering tailored photocatalysts for sustainable aviation fuel production: advanced surface analysis to enable rationale design Lee J. Durndell 1 , Vannia C. dos Santos-Durndell 1 and Mark A. Isaacs 2 1 University of Plymouth, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Science, Plymouth, UK, 2 Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, UK. Abstract: Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production from biomass-derived molecules requires catalysts (and supporting hierarchical nanomaterials) that balance high activity, selectivity, and stability under water-rich conditions. This talk presents the first examples of the photocatalysed aldol cross-condensation of furfural (FAL) and cyclopentanone (CPO) to SAF precursors ( Figure 1 ), highlighting the critical influence of surface properties, Brønsted and Lewis acidity, hydrophobicity, and polarity, on catalytic performance.We will emphasise not only the importance of these attributes but also how to define, quantify, and deconvolute them in complex multifunctional hierarchical catalysts to accurately elucidate surface-driven catalytic processes.
Figure 1: Furfural and cyclopentanone aldol condensation to the bio-jet fuel precursor, F 2 Cp. We will explore two complementary photocatalytic systems: (1) WO x /ZrO x -impregnated periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) catalysts, engineered for water tolerance via phenyl-functionalisation, 1-2 achieving >80% yield of C 8 –C 15 ketones in > 6 hours under mild conditions; 2 and (2) Ti-SBA-15 catalysts with tuneable sub-monolayer titania coverage, delivering a 4-fold increase in activity over bulk TiO 2 due to enhanced mass transport, active site accessibility, and surface stability. 3 Advanced spectroscopic techniques (XPS, UPS, REELS, ISS, Raman) and surface-specific active site titration protocols (Pyridine-DRIFTS, NH 3 -Titration, Propylamine-TGA-MS) provide new insights into surface speciation, revealing how Ti and W/Zr coordination environments influence reactivity. 3-5 By unveiling the structure-function relationships that govern photocatalytic biomass valorisation, this work advances rational catalyst design as a key enabler of scalable, energy-efficient SAF production. Our findings offer a roadmap for developing next-generation photocatalysts tailored for water-rich biomass conversions, accelerating the transition to circular, low-carbon aviation fuels. References
1. L. J. Durndell et al ., Sustainable Energy & Fuels, 2023, 7 , 1677-1686; 2. L. J. Durndell et al ., Applied Catalysis O: Open , 2025, under review ; 3. M.A. Isaacs et al ., Advanced Functional Materials , 2025, under review ; 4. E. Paineau et al ., Chemical Engineering Journal , 2023, 459 , p.141514; 5. V. C. dos Santos et al ., 2015, 162 , Applied Catalysis B: Environmental , 75-84.
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© The Author(s), 2025
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