Upgrade of Acetone‐Butanol‐Ethanol Mixture to High‐Value Biofuels over Ca‐Doped Ni‐CaO‐SiO2 catalyst

Abstract The selective conversion of biomass fermentation derived from an acetone‐butanol‐ethanol (ABE) mixture into high‐value biofuels is of paramount importance for industrial applications. However, challenges persist in effectively controlling the selectivity of long carbon chain ketones in elevated ABE conversion. In this research, a Ca‐doped Ni‐CaO‐SiO 2 catalyst was designed and employed to achieve a remarkable conversion of 89.9 % into ketone products from the extracted ABE mixture. The selectivity for C8+ ketones reaches 41.8 %, demonstrating exceptional performance. The reversible phase transition between Ca 2 SiO 4 and CaCO 3 enhances the recyclability, thereby improving the sustainability of the process. Additionally, the trace intermediate 3‐hepten‐2‐one was successfully detected using two‐dimensional GC×GC−MS, elucidating the conversion pathway in the catalytic upgrading of the ABE mixture. This finding offers a potential route for the efficient utilization of biomass and the highly selective production of value‐added chemicals.