Disclosed herein are methods for selective synthesis of specific phenolic products by means biomass or biomass products liquefaction, manipulation of the said selectivity in favor of one specific phenolic compound or a mixture of specific phenolic compounds, and the synthesis of the phenolic compounds from a liquid or biomass organic fraction produced in presence of a homogeneous catalyst in supercritical state or a mixture of said homogeneous and one or several heterogeneous catalysts mixed with water in sub-critical, near-critical, or supercritical condition.

A unique design for a mobile system that reforms flare gas or natural gas, using air without steam, to directly produce dimethyl ether (DME), a diesel substitute, is disclosed. The system first reforms the air-methane mixture at ambient atmospheric pressures, and then compresses the resulting CO-hydrogen-nitrogen gas mixture to up to 600 psi, and feeds it through a combined reactor which reacts the gas mixture directly into dimethyl ether. The nitrogen is returned by the system back to the atmosphere. DME is an excellent diesel fuel, and can be used to displace significantly costlier and dirtier petroleum-based diesel fuel, while solving a critical problem with flaring. For example, the over 120 billion cubic feet per year that is currently flared in North Dakota could be converted into over 3 million tons of DME.

A method for protecting a phenol group on a precursor compound is provided. The method includes reacting the phenol group with dihydropyran in an acid catalyzed protection reaction and quenching the protection reaction with a strong base within less than about 60 seconds to form a protected precursor compound.

The present invention is related to a catalytic process, which includes catalytic compositions for depolymerisation and deoxygenation of lignin contained in the biomass for obtaining aromatic hydrocarbons. The catalytic composition includes at least one non-noble element from Group VIIIB of the periodic table supported on a mesoporous matrix composed of an inorganic oxide, which can be alumina surface-modified with a second inorganic oxide with the object of inhibiting the interaction between the active component and the support. The process of lignin depolymerisation includes dissolving lignin in a mixture of protic liquids, reacting it in a reaction system by batch or in continuous flow at inert and/or reducing atmosphere, at a temperature of between 60 to 320 C. and a pressure of from 5 to 90 kg/cm.sup.2.

The present invention is related to a catalytic process, which includes catalytic compositions for depolymerisation and deoxygenation of lignin contained in the biomass for obtaining aromatic hydrocarbons. The catalytic composition includes at least one non-noble element from Group VIIIB of the periodic table supported on a mesoporous matrix composed of an inorganic oxide, which can be alumina surface-modified with a second inorganic oxide with the object of inhibiting the interaction between the active component and the support. The process of lignin depolymerisation includes dissolving lignin in a mixture of protic liquids, reacting it in a reaction system by batch or in continuous flow at inert and/or reducing atmosphere, at a temperature of between 60 to 320 C. and a pressure of from 5 to 90 kg/cm.sup.2.

The present invention is related to a catalytic process, which includes catalytic compositions for depolymerisation and deoxygenation of lignin contained in the biomass for obtaining aromatic hydrocarbons. The catalytic composition includes at least one non-noble element from Group VIIIB of the periodic table supported on a mesoporous matrix composed of an inorganic oxide, which can be alumina surface-modified with a second inorganic oxide with the object of inhibiting the interaction between the active component and the support. The process of lignin depolymerisation includes dissolving lignin in a mixture of protic liquids, reacting it in a reaction system by batch or in continuous flow at inert and/or reducing atmosphere, at a temperature of between 60 to 320 C. and a pressure of from 5 to 90 kg/cm.sup.2.