Dehydration of xylose over sulfated tin oxide catalyst: Influences of the preparation conditions on the structural properties and catalytic performance

Various sulfated metal oxides were tested as solid acid catalyst for the dehydration of xylose to furfural under milder conditions. On the basis of our findings that sulfated tin oxide exhibited the highest catalytic activity, the effects of the content of SO42− group and the calcination temperature on the structural properties and catalytic performance were investigated, and the reusability of the sulfated tin oxide catalyst was evaluated. The acid property on the sulfated tin oxide catalyst was characterized by in situ FT-IR observations of the CO-adsorbed sample. Finally, the reaction mechanism of dehydration of xylose over the SO42−/SnO2 catalyst was considered.

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► Sulfated tin oxide is an effective catalyst for the dehydration of xylose to furfural.
► Sulfated tin oxide catalyst can be reused through the re-sulfation process.
► Both of Lewis and Brønsted acid sites collaborate to produce furfural.