Climate change is one of the most critical challenges facing the planet, largely driven by emissions from industrial processes. Among these, jet fuel combustion continues to be a significant contributor to global CO₂ emissions. This highlights the need to shift to a net-zero or net-negative CO₂ emission pathway.1 An oil-to-jet (OTJ) pathway was investigated utilizing Salicornia bigelovii, a salt-tolerant halophyte whose seed oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, as a renewable feedstock for biojet fuel production. Its oils are comprised of linoleic and oleic acids, 13.4% methyl oleate, and 75.5% methyl linoleate, making it highly suitable for catalytic reactions.2
Cross-metathesis reactions of methyl oleate (MO) and methyl linoleate (ML) with 1-hexene were conducted using second-generation Hoveyda–Grubbs catalyst under mild, near-ambient conditions.3 Reaction studies were performed across various hexene-to-FAME ratios (2, 4, 5, 7, and 10) using both pure and mixed FAME solutions. To mimic the fatty acid composition of S. bigelovii oil, we used a mixture containing 75% ML and 15% MO, 7.5% palmitic acid, 1.5% stearic acid, and 2.0% linolenic acid, which successfully underwent cross-metathesis and produced the desired products. Optimal product selectivity was achieved at a ratio of 5, balancing conversion efficiency, catalyst stability, and jet-range hydrocarbon yield (C₉–C₁₆).4 These findings demonstrate that metathesis-based processing offers a promising, low-temperature route for the selective production of renewable jet fuel components from renewable feedstocks.
