Multilevel rotating foam biphasic reactor for combination of processes in biomass transformation

• Xylose dehydration to furfural combined with furfural hydrogenation was studied in a biphasic process.
• A multilevel rotating foam reactor developed for multiple reactions in a single reactor.
• Zeolite MOR coated over Al foam was localized in the aqueous phase.
• Ru coated over carbon foam was localized in the organic phase.
• The main product of the combined process is tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol.

The two-level rotating foam reactor has been developed for conducting of separate reactions in different phases in one reactor. The provided approach has been tested in the dehydration of xylose combined with produced furfural hydrogenation. The dehydration of xylose to furfural was carried out over zeolite MOR coated over Al foam in the aqueous phase and the hydrogenation of furfural over Ru impregnated over carbon foam in the organic phase. 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran and cyclohexane were used as solvents in the process. The main product of the combined process is tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol.

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