Arenesulfonic acid functionalized ordered mesoporous silica as solid acid catalyst for solvent free dehydration of sorbitol to isosorbide

• Solvent free dehydration of sorbitol investigated using –SO3H functionalized SBA-15
• Isosorbide formation influenced by type of organoacid site and porous structure
• Arene –SO3H modified SBA-15 (Ar/SBA-15) showed higher catalyst performance.
• Ar/SBA-15 exhibited high isosorbide selectivity (71%) at moderate temperature.

Organosulfonic acid functionalized ordered mesoporous silicas with different moieties have been synthesized and used as solid acid catalysts for solvent free dehydration of sorbitol to isosorbide. In screening experiments with distinct solid acids, the arenesulfonic acid functionalized SBA-15 (Ar/SBA-15) showed higher catalyst performance as compared to propyl and fluorosulfonic acid sites. Under optimum reaction condition, Ar/SBA-15 afforded 100% sorbitol conversion with 71% isosorbide selectivity in 2 h at moderate temperature of 170 °C. The high activity of catalyst ascribed to its ordered mesoporous structure and ease to access Brönsted acid sites with high acid strength.

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