Three new advanced biofuels have been produced from sesquiterpene feedstocks. Cedarwood oil, which is primarily composed of the sesquiterpenes thujopsene, α-cedrene, and β-cedrene, was hydrogenated to generate a fuel blend (HCWO) with a cetane number of 31 and a volumetric net heat of combustion (NHOC) more than 12% higher than conventional jet fuel. Hydrogenation under pressures ranging from 400 to 440 psi allowed for reduction of the double bond in thujopsene while keeping the cyclopropane ring intact. A single component high density fuel containing only hydrogenated α-cedrene (cedrane) was then prepared by dehydration and hydrogenation of α-cedrol, and found to have an even higher NHOC and lower viscosity than HCWO. Cedrane was then isomerized to 1-ethyl-3,5,7-trimethyladamantane (ETMA) and a mixture of other alkyl adamantanes. The adamantane mixture had a cetane number of 46 and a viscosity suitable for use in a conventional diesel engine. This work shows that sustainable multicyclic sesquiterpenes are versatile feedstocks to ultra-performance fuels that combine high densities with high cetane numbers.

中文翻译：

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含有三环倍半萜烯和烷基类金刚石的可再生高密度燃料†

从倍半萜原料生产了三种新的高级生物燃料。将主要由倍半萜烯倍半萜烯，α-雪松烯和β-雪松烯组成的雪松木油进行氢化，以生成十六烷值为31，体积燃烧净热（NHOC）大于12的燃料共混物（HCWO）。比常规喷气燃料高％。在400至440 psi的压力下进行氢化，可以使硫杂环戊烷中的双键还原，同时保持环丙烷环完整。然后，通过α-雪松烯的脱水和氢化来制备仅包含氢化的α-雪松烯（雪兰德）的单组分高密度燃料，发现其具有比HCWO更高的NHOC和更低的粘度。然后将Cedrane异构化为1-乙基-3,5,7-三甲基金刚烷（ETMA）和其他烷基金刚烷的混合物。金刚烷混合物的十六烷值为46，并且粘度适用于常规柴油发动机。这项工作表明，可持续的多环倍半萜烯是多用途原料，是结合了高密度和十六烷值的超高性能燃料。