Issue 8, 2024

Chemical valorisation of biomass derived furanics and carboxylic acids over niobium-based catalysts

Abstract

Furfural is an industrial renewable platform chemical, which can be converted to useful furanics such as α-angelica lactone, carboxylic acids such as levulinic acid and valeric acid, or to higher carbon content products via condensation routes for producing drop-in fuel replacements and chemicals with diverse applications. These important conversion processes may be carried out in selective fashions, although they require adequate catalysts. They were successfully carried out using versatile, stable silica-wrapped niobium oxide nanostructured catalysts. For example, α-angelica lactone was converted in an integrated fashion to ethyl levulinate in 90% yield, and the esterification of levulinic and valeric acids gave ethyl levulinate in quantitative yield and ethyl valerate in 90% yield, respectively, at 140 °C. Catalytic, mechanistic and kinetic modelling studies shed light on the influence of the materials properties on the catalytic performances. These catalysts outperformed pure Nb2O5, as well as hydrothermally synthesized composites consisting of Nb2O5 nanoparticles embedded in a mesoporous siliceous matrix.

Graphical abstract: Chemical valorisation of biomass derived furanics and carboxylic acids over niobium-based catalysts

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 jan. 2024
Accepted
11 mar. 2024
First published
12 mar. 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Green Chem., 2024,26, 4820-4833

Chemical valorisation of biomass derived furanics and carboxylic acids over niobium-based catalysts

M. M. Antunes, K. Skrodczky, P. S. Cabanelas, N. Pinna, P. A. Russo and A. A. Valente, Green Chem., 2024, 26, 4820 DOI: 10.1039/D4GC00207E

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