Sustainable production of high-energy-density jet fuel via cycloaddition reactions

Developing an energy supply-chain based on renewable biomass holds great potential to build a low carbon society. High-energy-density (HED) jet fuel, featuring unique fused/strained cycloalkanes, is of great significance for volume-limited military aircrafts, as their high density and combustion heat can extend flight duration and increase the payload. Therefore, the exploration of biomass-based routes towards HED fuel has drawn much attention over the past decade. Cycloaddition reaction features rapid construction of various carbocycles in an atom- and step-economical fashion. This elegant strategy has been widely applied in the manufacture of sustainable HED fuel. Here we carefully summarize the progress achieved in this fascinating area and the review is categorized by the cycloaddition patterns including [4+2], [2+2], [4+4], and [2+1] cycloadditions. Besides, the energy densities of the as-prepared biofuels and petroleum-based fuels (conventional Jet-A and advanced JP-10) are also compared. This review will provide important insights into rational design of new HED fuel with different ring-types/sizes and inspire the chemists to turn those literature studies into practical applications in military field.