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Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering

ISSN 2095-0179

ISSN 2095-0187(Online)

CN 11-5981/TQ

Postal Subscription Code 80-969

2018 Impact Factor: 2.809

Front. Chem. Sci. Eng.    2022, Vol. 16 Issue (2) : 168-182    https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-021-2056-8
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Design of bio-oil additives via molecular signature descriptors using a multi-stage computer-aided molecular design framework
Jia Wen Chong1, Suchithra Thangalazhy-Gopakumar1, Kasturi Muthoosamy2, Nishanth G. Chemmangattuvalappil1()
1. Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Selangor 43500, Malaysia
2. Nanotechnology Research Group, Centre of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Selangor 43500, Malaysia
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Abstract

Direct application of bio-oil from fast pyrolysis as a fuel has remained a challenge due to its undesirable attributes such as low heating value, high viscosity, high corrosiveness and storage instability. Solvent addition is a simple method for circumventing these disadvantages to allow further processing and storage. In this work, computer-aided molecular design tools were developed to design optimal solvents to upgrade bio-oil whilst having low environmental impact. Firstly, target solvent requirements were translated into measurable physical properties. As different property prediction models consist different levels of structural information, molecular signature descriptor was used as a common platform to formulate the design problem. Because of the differences in the required structural information of different property prediction models, signatures of different heights were needed in formulating the design problem. Due to the combinatorial nature of higher-order signatures, the complexity of a computer-aided molecular design problem increases with the height of signatures. Thus, a multi-stage framework was developed by developing consistency rules that restrict the number of higher-order signatures. Finally, phase stability analysis was conducted to evaluate the stability of the solvent-oil blend. As a result, optimal solvents that improve the solvent-oil blend properties while displaying low environmental impact were identified.

Keywords computer-aided molecular design      bio-oil additives      molecular signature descriptor     
Corresponding Author(s): Nishanth G. Chemmangattuvalappil   
Just Accepted Date: 08 May 2021   Online First Date: 17 June 2021    Issue Date: 10 January 2022
 Cite this article:   
Jia Wen Chong,Suchithra Thangalazhy-Gopakumar,Kasturi Muthoosamy, et al. Design of bio-oil additives via molecular signature descriptors using a multi-stage computer-aided molecular design framework[J]. Front. Chem. Sci. Eng., 2022, 16(2): 168-182.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fcse/EN/10.1007/s11705-021-2056-8
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fcse/EN/Y2022/V16/I2/168
Fig.1  Framework for the development of CAMD model for the design of solvent.
Group Description Example
I Bonding atom is a heteroatom bonded to a hydrogen atom O1(C2(CO))
II Bonding atom is a heteroatom bonded to a carbon atom O2(C2(CO)C3(CCO))
III Bonding atom is a carbon atom bonded to a heteroatom, which is bonded to a hydrogen atom C2(O1(C)C2(CC))
IV Bonding atom is a carbon atom bonded to a heteroatom, which is bonded to a carbon atom C2(O2(CC)C2(CC))
V Bonding atom is a carbon atom bonded to another carbon atom C2(C2(CC)C3(CCC))
Tab.1  Free bond groups in terms of signature of height 2
Group I II III IV V
I × × × ×
II × × ×
III × ×
IV ×
V
Tab.2  Allowed combination of groups
Rule Structural constraint Equation
I i=1n1 xi+2n1n2 xi+3n2n3 xi+4n3n4 xi=2[ ( i=1Nxi+12i=0ND ixi +i=0 NM ixi+i=1 NT ixi )1] (13)
II ?( li lj)h= ? (ljli) h (14)
Tab.3  Mathematical expression for structural constraints
No. Height 3 signature Corresponding height 2 signature
1 C1(C3(C1(C)C2(CC)O1(C))) C1(C3(CCO)
2 C1(C2(C1(C)C2(CC)) C1(C2(CC))
3 C2(C1(C2(CC))C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))) C2(C1(C)C2(CC))
4 C2(C2(C1(C)C2(CC))C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))) C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))
5 C2(C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))) C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))
6 C2(C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))C2(C2(CC)C3(CCO))) C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))
7 C2(C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))C3(C1(C)C2(CC)O1(C))) C2(C2(CC)C3(CCO))
8 C3(C1(C3(CCO))C2(C2(CC)C3(CCO))O1(C3(CCO))) C3(C1(C)C2(CC)O1(C))
9 O1(C3(C1(C)C2(CC)O1(C))) O1(C3(CCO))
Tab.4  Set of signatures for 2-octanol with its corresponding height 2 signatures
Requirement/need Targeted property Constraint
Liquid state at room temperature Normal boiling point/K >400.15
Normal melting point/K <298.15
Fuel combustion quality Higher heating value To be maximised
Fuel flow consistency Viscosity/(mPa·s) 1>ν>6
Density/(kg·m–3) 800>ρ>1000
Homogenous form Tangent plane distance To be determined
Environmental related properties and toxicology Aquatic acute toxicity, LC50 >100
Aquatic acute toxicity, EC50 >100
Oral acute toxicity, LD50 >100
Bioconcentration factor <1000
Soil-water partition coefficient/(L·kg–1) <31622
Global warming potential <10
Photochemical oxidation potential <10
Tab.5  Translation of product requirements into target properties and constraints
2nd order group Molecular signature
(CH3)2CH C3(C1(C)C1(C)C2(CC))
CH(CH3)CH(CH3) C3(C1(C3(CCC)) C1(C3(CCC)) C3(C3(CCC)C1(C)C1(C))
CH3COOCH C4(C1(C4(=OOC) =O2(=C4(=OOC) O2(C4(=OOC)C2(CO)))
Tab.6  Example of 2nd order group expressed in terms of signature of height 2 or 3
Fig.2  Generation of height 2 signature based on the height 1 signature, CI(C).
No. Signature
Height 1
S1 C1(C)
S4 C2(CC)
S5 C2(CO)
S11 C3(CCO)
S22 O1(C)
Height 2
D1 C1(C3(CCO))
D2 C1(C2(CC))
D4 C2(C1(C)C2(CC))
D7 C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))
D9 C2(C2(CC)C3(CCO))
D14 C3(C1(C)C2(CC)O1(C))
D17 O1(C3(CCO))
Height 3
T1 C1(C3(C1(C)C2(CC)O1(C)))
T2 C1(C2(C1(C)C2(CC)))
T4 C2(C1(C2(CC))C2(C2(CC)C2(CC)))
T7 C2(C2(C1(C)C2(CC))C2(C2(CC)C2(CC)))
T9 C2(C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))C2(C2(CC)C2(CC)))
T10 C2(C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))C2(C2(CC)C3(CCO)))
T12 C2(C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))C3(C1(C)C2(CC)O1(C)))
T13 C3(C1(C3(CCO))C2(C2(CC)C3(CCO))O1(C3(CCO)))
T14 O1(C3(C1(C)C2(CC)O1(C)))
Height 4
Q1 C1(C3(C1(C3(CCO))C2(C2(CC)C3(CCO))O1(C3(CCO))))
Q2 C1(C2(C1(C2(CC))C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))))
Q3 C2(C1(C2(C1(C)C2(CC))C2(C2(C1(C)C2(CC))C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))))
Q7 C2(C2(C1(C2(CC))C2(C2(CC)C2(CC)))C2(C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))))
Q12 C2(C2(C2(C1(C)C2(CC))C2(C2(CC)C2(CC)))C2(C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))C2(C2(CC)C3(CCO))))
Q15 C2(C2(C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))C2(C2(CC)C2(CC)))C2(C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))C3(C1(C)C2(CC)O1(C))))
Q18 C2(C2(C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))C2(C2(CC)C3(CCO)))C3(C1(C3(CCO))C2(C2(CC)C3(CCO))O1(C3(CCO))))
Q20 C3(C1(C3(C1(C)C2(CC)O1(C)))C2(C2(C2(CC)C2(CC))C3(C1(C)C2(CC)O1(C)))O1(C3(C1(C)C2(CC)O1(C))))
Q21 O1(C3(C1(C3(CCO))C2(C2(CC)C3(CCO))O1(C3(CCO))))
Tab.7  Potential height 1, 2, 3 and 4 signatures generated
Molecular name Higher heating value from NIST/(MJ·kg–1)[41] Higher heating value/(MJ·kg–1)
2-Octanol 40.66 40.89
2-Heptanol 39.72 40.00
2-Hexanol 38.98 38.92
2-Pentanol 37.72 37.50
Tab.8  Higher heating values obtained from NIST’s database and present work for respective solvent candidates
Fig.3  Gibbs energy and tangent plot for 2-octanol and bio-oil (a) 16% water content, (b) 25% water content, and (c) 40% water content.
Fig.4  Gibbs phase ternary graph of bio-oil, water and 2-octanol.
Molecular name Formula Molecular structure Higher heating value/(MJ·kg–1) Miscibility
2-Octanol CH3(CH2)5CH(OH)CH3 40.89 Miscible
2-Heptanol CH3(CH2)4CH(OH)CH3 40.00 Miscible
2-Hexanol CH3(CH2)3CH(OH)CH3 38.92 Miscible
2-Pentanol CH3(CH2)2CH(OH)CH3 37.50 Miscible
Tab.9  The identified feasible solvent candidates
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