One-Pot Condensation of Furfural and Levulinates: A Novel Method for Cassava Use in Synthesis of Biofuel Precursors

A novel and efficient method for the use of non-edible cassava to synthesize biofuel precursors with long carbon chains in two steps was proposed. The finally produced precursors were based on the decomposition of cassava and condensation between furans and levulinates. The reaction parameters for levulinate production from cassava were optimized, and the results showed that the highest carbon mole yield of levulinates was up to 51.3% at 473 K, 4.0 MPa N₂, and 6.0 h. After that, precursors with yields of 88.0 and 90.5% could be obtained when the mole ratios between furans and levulinates were 1:1 and 2:1, respectively. Characterization of precursors using elemental analysis, ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance, gel permeation chromatography, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated that different and intersecting routes of condensation resulted in the complex components of precursors. Moreover, the mechanism of condensation was proven to excessively depend upon the mole ratio between furans and levulinates in this investigation. This technical route indicates a simple and feasible method to produce renewable biofuel with long carbon chains from cassava directly

Additional file 1 of Co-expression of IL-21-Enhanced NKG2D CAR-NK cell therapy for lung cancer

Supplementary Material

Production of C₅/C₆ Sugar Alcohols by Hydrolytic Hydrogenation of Raw Lignocellulosic Biomass over Zr Based Solid Acids Combined with Ru/C

Producing chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass is important in view of the huge availability of biomass and positive environmental significance by reducing carbon emission due to fast carbon cycle during biomass growth and applications. Here, we prepared zirconium based solid acids for hydrolytic hydrogenation of raw lignocelluloses to coproduce C₅/C₆ sugar alcohols (the important platform for downstream chemicals and fuel production) as combined with commercial Ru/C. Among these solid acids, the amorphous zirconium phosphate (ZrP) presented the largest acidic sites, with medium and strong acidity as the majority, showing the highest goal sugar alcohols yield of 70% at optimal reaction conditions. During pennisetum transformation, this combined catalyst was reusable despite the activity of the second run being lower than the initial one, and the activity could be recovered by recalcination of spent ZrP. The primary structure of surviving lignin remained after cellulose and hemicellulose were converted, showing the significance for fractional biomass applications if considering the further transformation of lignin