Catalytic synthesis of high-energy–density jet-fuel-range polycyclic fuel by dimerization reaction

Abstract Given a volume-fixed oil-tank, the advanced fuels with high energy density will increase the payload and range of the aircraft. Herein, we synthesized the high-energy–density liquid fuel via catalytic dimerization of norbornene by the acidic zeolites. Importantly, we reveal the relationship between the structural properties (i.e., B/L acid site ratio and porous structure) of acidic zeolites and the conversion and selectivity of dimerization, and demonstrate the mechanism and kinetics of isomerization-dimerization two-step process. Among the investigated catalysts, Hβ-25 exhibits the best activity with high norbornene conversion and acceptable dimers selectivity, which is attributed to the synergy effect of appropriate B/L acid site ratio and suitable pore size. After hydrogenation, the obtained fuel has high density (0.978 g/cm3) and high volumetric neat heat of combustion (41.49 MJ/L), which are much higher than those of widely used JP-10 fuel. This work provides a promising route to produce high-energy–density fuel for practical application.