Catalytic Conversion of Bio-ethanol into 1,3-butadiene

A selective process for 1,3-butadiene synthesis from bio-ethanol requires bifunctional catalysts with the right balance of acidic, basic active sites. CuO-promoted SiO₂-MgO catalysts prepared with different synthetic methods show greatly enhanced selectivity towards butadiene. Extensive catalyst characterization was performed to correlate influence of preparation method on structure and function.