Efficient conversion of monosaccharides into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and levulinic acid in InCl3–H2O medium

Controlling the Reaction Networks for Efficient Conversion of Glucose into 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural

Biomass-derived hexose constitutes the main component of lignocellulosic biomass for producing value-added chemicals and biofuels. However, the reaction network of hexose is complicated, which makes the highly selective synthesis of one particular product challenging in biorefinery. This Review focuses on the selective production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from glucose on account of its potential significance as an important platform molecule. The complex reaction network involved in glucose-to-HMF transformations is briefly summarized. Special emphasis is placed on analyzing the complexities of feedstocks, intermediates, (side-) products, catalysts, solvents, and their impacts on the reaction network. The strategies and representative examples for adjusting the reaction pathway toward HMF by developing multifunctional catalysts and promoters, taking advantage of solvent effects and process intensification, and synergizing all measures are comprehensively discussed. An outlook is provided to highlight the challenges and opportunities faced in this promising field. It is expected to provide guidance to design practical catalytic processes for advancing HMF biorefinery.

Heterogeneous Catalytic Hydrogenation of Levulinic Acid to γ-Valerolactone with Formic Acid as Internal Hydrogen Source

As one of the most promising biomass-based platform molecules, γ-valerolactone (GVL) can be synthesized from a variety of lignocellulosic feedstocks through different hydrogen supply pathways. Among these transformation routes, the hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA) to GVL by using formic acid (FA) as the internal hydrogen source is regarded as a critical path for the sustainable development of renewable energy systems. Although a large number of studies on the synthesis of GVL have been reported, the FA/LA catalytic system has not been interpreted as thoroughly as it should be. In this Minireview, core concerns are focused on key issues and their effects in this FA/LA catalytic system. The catalytic mechanism, together with competitive adsorption behavior between FA and LA on heterogeneous catalysts, is presented. The effects of active metal species and catalyst supports on the overall catalytic performance are summarized, and the influences of key condition parameters, including the time, temperature, FA/LA molar ratios, and aqueous solvent, are discussed. In particular, impacts and improvements of coke deposition and metal leaching, which could greatly affect the catalyst stability, are analyzed in detail. Additionally, several feasible suggestions for the enhancement of the catalytic efficiency and stability are also proposed.

Efficient conversion of wheat straw into furan compounds, bio-oils, and phosphate fertilizers by a combination of hydrolysis and catalytic pyrolysis

A novel technique has been developed for the complete conversion of wheat straw to furan compounds, bio-oils, and phosphate fertilizers by a combination of hydrolysis and catalytic pyrolysis.

Efficient dual acidic carbo-catalyst for one-pot conversion of carbohydrates to levulinic acid

Developed carbo-catalyst for one-pot conversion of sugars to levulinic acid which is an important intermediate for high value renewable bioproducts.

One-pot synthesis of levulinic acid from cellulose in ionic liquids

A simple and effective route for the production of levulinic acid (LA) from cellulose has been developed in SO3H-functionalized ionic liquids. The effects of ionic liquid structures, reaction conditions and combination of metal chlorides with ILs on the yield of LA were investigated, where the highest yield of 39.4% was obtained for 120 min in the presence of 1-(4-sulfonic acid) butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulphate ([BSMim]HSO4) with addition of H2O. The catalytic activities of ionic liquids depended on the anions and decreased in the order: CF3SO3(-)>HSO4(-) > OAc(-), which was in good agreement with their acidity order. The ILs play a dual solvent-acid role for the cellulose conversion into LA and exhibited favorable catalytic activity over four repeated runs.

Fabrication of a micellar heteropolyacid with Lewis–Brønsted acid sites and application for the production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from saccharides in water

Supramolecular complexes (C_nH_2n+1N(CH₃)₃)H₄PW₁₁TiO₄₀ (n = 4, 8, 12, 14, 16, and 18) consisting of heteropolyacids (HPAs) and amphiphilic quaternary ammonium were fabricated through self-assembly.

InCl3-catalyzed conversion of carbohydrates into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in biphasic system

InCl3, a water-compatible Lewis acid, was used for the conversion of microcrystalline cellulose to produce 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in a H2O/THF biphasic system. Addition of NaCl increased the HMF yield significantly but suppressed the levulinic acid (LA) formation. The HMF yield of 39.7% was obtained in 2h at 200°C in the NaCl-H2O/THF catalytic system catalyzed by InCl3. The catalytic system also showed effectiveness to convert other carbohydrates to HMF, including glucose, fructose, sucrose, starch, which demonstrated great potential towards different feedstocks.