An integrated strategy for the conversion of cellulosic biomass into γ-valerolactone†
Abstract
An integrated method for the production of γ-valerolactone from cellulosic biomass is presented here. A combination of acidic water hydrolysis of the biomass followed by extraction with methyltetrahydrofuran is used to generate a levulinic acid feed, which is further hydrogenated into the platform chemical γ-valerolactone using RANEY® nickel as a catalyst.