ABSTRACT
Crude oil-based gasoline fuels have been widely used in the transportation sector since the 1920s. However, there have been great public concerns over the adverse environmental and human impacts of these fuels. Hence, biomass-based bioethanol fuels have increasingly been used in blending gasoline fuels and in fuel cells. In the meantime, research in nanomaterials and nanotechnology has intensified in recent years. Research in the field of chemicals has also intensified in recent years. However, due to societal concerns about the sustainability of the environmental and human impacts of the chemicals, the production of biochemicals from bioethanol fuels has become an alternative research field. Thus, research on the production biochemicals from bioethanol fuels has primarily intensified in the research fronts of biobutanols, bioethylenes, bioacetaldehydes, bioacetic acids, biobutadienes, bioethyl acetates and, to a lesser extent, biodiethyl ethers, bioisobutenes, and biopropylenes. The focus of research has been more on the development of catalysts and catalyst supports rather than the operating conditions. On the other hand, it is essential to develop efficient incentive structures for the primary stakeholders to enhance research in this field. Although there have been a number of review papers on the production of biochemicals from bioethanol fuels, there has been no review of the 25 most-cited articles in this field. This chapter presents a review of the 25 most-cited articles in the field of bioethanol-based production of biochemical production. Then, it discusses the key findings of these highly influential papers and comments on future research priorities in this field.
