Assessing the potential of higher alcohols as green fuels for carbon circularity

doi:10.1016/j.cjche.2025.05.032

Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering ›› 2025, Vol. 87 ›› Issue (11): 299-312.DOI: 10.1016/j.cjche.2025.05.032

Assessing the potential of higher alcohols as green fuels for carbon circularity

Xiaolu Xu¹, Linjun Wang¹, Qingsong Hu¹, Jie Ren², Fu Yang³, Ruiyan Sun⁴, Zhenchen Tang¹, Huanhao Chen^1,5, Feng Zeng^1,5

1. State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China;
2. Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China;
3. School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212003, China;
4. College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China;
5. Quzhou Membrane Material Innovation Institute, Quzhou 324000, China

Received:2024-12-30 Revised:2025-04-15 Accepted:2025-05-05 Online:2025-07-18 Published:2025-11-28
Contact: Feng Zeng,E-mail:zeng@njtech.edu.cn
Supported by:
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U22B20148, 22208143, and 22278204), the International Science and Technology Cooperation Project of the Innovative Supporting Plan from the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology (BZ2022040), and the State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering (ZK202101, SKL-MCE-24A09, and the Open Project SKL-MCE-23B). We also acknowledge support from the China National Petroleum Corporation.

Assessing the potential of higher alcohols as green fuels for carbon circularity

Xiaolu Xu¹, Linjun Wang¹, Qingsong Hu¹, Jie Ren², Fu Yang³, Ruiyan Sun⁴, Zhenchen Tang¹, Huanhao Chen^1,5, Feng Zeng^1,5

1. State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China;
2. Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China;
3. School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212003, China;
4. College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China;
5. Quzhou Membrane Material Innovation Institute, Quzhou 324000, China

通讯作者: Feng Zeng,E-mail:zeng@njtech.edu.cn
基金资助:
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U22B20148, 22208143, and 22278204), the International Science and Technology Cooperation Project of the Innovative Supporting Plan from the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology (BZ2022040), and the State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering (ZK202101, SKL-MCE-24A09, and the Open Project SKL-MCE-23B). We also acknowledge support from the China National Petroleum Corporation.

Abstract

Abstract: Excessive fossil fuel use has increased carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, driving climate change and ocean acidification. This review evaluates the potential of higher alcohols as fuels for carbon circularity, comparing their properties, energy efficiency, and technology readiness with hydrogen, methane, and methanol. Higher alcohols, produced via CO₂ hydrogenation, exhibit advantages such as liquid-phase storage, higher energy density, and safer handling. Additionally, their clean combustion produces fewer pollutants like CO and NO_x. However, CO₂ hydrogenation to higher alcohols faces challenges, including high energy demands, kinetic barriers, and immature production technologies, resulting in lower energy efficiency compared to H₂, methane, and methanol. Higher alcohols, with their superior energy density and safety, hold promise as sustainable fuels, particularly when integrated with CO₂ capture technologies. However, improvements in catalyst performance, process integration, and production scalability are critical for their widespread adoption.

摘要： Excessive fossil fuel use has increased carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, driving climate change and ocean acidification. This review evaluates the potential of higher alcohols as fuels for carbon circularity, comparing their properties, energy efficiency, and technology readiness with hydrogen, methane, and methanol. Higher alcohols, produced via CO₂ hydrogenation, exhibit advantages such as liquid-phase storage, higher energy density, and safer handling. Additionally, their clean combustion produces fewer pollutants like CO and NO_x. However, CO₂ hydrogenation to higher alcohols faces challenges, including high energy demands, kinetic barriers, and immature production technologies, resulting in lower energy efficiency compared to H₂, methane, and methanol. Higher alcohols, with their superior energy density and safety, hold promise as sustainable fuels, particularly when integrated with CO₂ capture technologies. However, improvements in catalyst performance, process integration, and production scalability are critical for their widespread adoption.

Xiaolu Xu, Linjun Wang, Qingsong Hu, Jie Ren, Fu Yang, Ruiyan Sun, Zhenchen Tang, Huanhao Chen, Feng Zeng. Assessing the potential of higher alcohols as green fuels for carbon circularity[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2025, 87(11): 299-312.

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Assessing the potential of higher alcohols as green fuels for carbon circularity

Assessing the potential of higher alcohols as green fuels for carbon circularity

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