Unprecedented activity and stability on zirconium phosphates grafted mesoporous silicas for renewable aromatics production from furans

Zirconium Phosphate-Pillared Zeolite MCM-36 for Green Production of γ-Valerolactone from Levulinic Acid via Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation

γ-valerolactone (GVL), derived from biomass, is a crucial platform compound for biofuel synthesis and various industrial applications. Current methods for synthesizing GVL involve expensive catalysts and high-pressure hydrogen, prompting the search for greener alternatives. This study focuses on a novel zirconium phosphate (ZrP)-pillared zeolite MCM-36 derivative catalyst for converting levulinic acid (LA) to GVL using alcohol as a hydrogen source. The incorporation of ZrP significantly contributes to mesoporosity and greatly enhances the acidity of the catalysts. Additionally, we employed 31P MAS NMR to comprehensively investigate the influence of phosphorus species on both the acidity and the catalytic conversion of LA to GVL. By adjusting the Zr-to-P ratios, we synthesized catalysts with enhanced acidity, achieving high conversion of LA and selectivity for GVL. The catalyst exhibited high recyclability, showing only minor deactivation over the course of five cycles. Furthermore, the catalyst was successfully applied to the one-pot conversion of furfural to GVL, showcasing its versatility in biomass conversion. This study highlights the potential of the MCM-ZrP1 catalyst for sustainable biomass conversion and offers insights for future research in renewable energy technologies.

The Interplay between Kinetics and Thermodynamics in Furan Diels-Alder Chemistry for Sustainable Chemicals Production

Biomass-derived furanic platform molecules have emerged as promising building blocks for renewable chemicals and functional materials. To this aim, the Diels-Alder (DA) cycloaddition stands out as a versatile strategy to convert these renewable resources in highly atom-efficient ways. Despite nearly a century worth of examples of furan DA chemistry, clear structure-reactivity-stability relationships are still to be established. Detailed understanding of the intricate interplay between kinetics and thermodynamics in these very particular [4+2] cycloadditions is essential to push further development and truly expand the scope beyond the ubiquitous addend combinations of electron-rich furans and electron-deficient olefins. Herein, we provide pertinent examples of DA chemistry, taken from various fields, to highlight trends, establish correlations and answer open questions in the field with the aim to support future efforts in the sustainable chemicals and materials production.

Advances in Diels-Alder/aromatization of biomass furan derivatives towards renewable aromatic hydrocarbons

The effective upgrading of renewable resources into high value-added chemicals is of great significance to achieve the sustainable economic development, as well as the implementation of carbon neutral technologies practically....

Recent Advances on Diels-Alder-Driven Preparation of Bio-Based Aromatics

The preparation of high value-added chemicals from renewable resources is a crucial approach towards a sustainable economy. One prominent alternative to the production of petroleum-based chemicals from fossil resources is through the sequential Diels-Alder/aromatization reactions of biomass-derived furan platforms. This Concept is focused on the recent boom in bio-based furan DA strategies for aromatization of bio-based platform chemicals, particularly that of furfurals, ranging from indirect use and activation strategies to recent examples of direct DA reaction of these electron-withdrawing biomass-derived furans.