Catalytic upgrading of furfuryl alcohol to bio-products: Catalysts screening and kinetic analysis

- Furfuryl alcohol transformation can be tuned to provide different bio-products.
- The size of the alcohol has a deep influence over the reaction network.
- The influence of textural and acid properties of catalysts are noticeable.
- Alkyl levulinate production takes place by two competitive cascades of reactions.
- Arenesulfonic acid-functionalized SBA-15 has revealed as the most efficient catalyst.

The conversion of furfuryl alcohol, a highly versatile biomass-derived platform molecule, into a large variety of bio-products, including ethers, lactones and levulinates, has been evaluated in alcohol media using different solid acid catalysts, such as commercial zeolites, sulfonic acid-functionalized materials, and sulfated zirconia. Reaction pathways and mechanisms have been correlated to the particular type of catalyst used, aiming to establish the influence of the main physico-chemical properties of the materials on the extent of furfuryl alcohol conversion, as well as on the predominant reaction pathway followed. Mechanistic and kinetics modelling studies for each type of catalyst have been developed and compared, providing an useful tool for the selection of the most suitable solid acid catalyst for the production of each of the reaction intermediates in the cascade from furfuryl alcohol to alkyl levulinate.

152