Ring Opening of Biomass-Derived Cyclic Ethers to Dienes over Silica/Alumina

We show that cyclic ethers, such 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF), can undergo dehydration to produce pentadienes over SiO₂/Al₂O₃. The catalyst exhibited reversible deactivation due to coke deposition, with the yield to pentadienes decreasing from 68% to 52% at 623 K over 58 h time on stream. A reaction network for 2-MTHF dehydration was proposed on the basis of the results of space time studies. Pentadienes can be produced directly by a concerted hydride shift and dehydration of carbenium intermediates or indirectly through dehydration of pentanal and pentenol. Reaction kinetics studies were performed at temperatures ranging from 573 to 653 K and 2-MTHF partial pressures from 0.21 to 2.51 kPa. The apparent activation energy barrier for 2-MTHF conversion to pentadienes and the reaction rate order for ring opening were determined to be 74 kJ mol^–1 and 0.24, respectively, indicating strong interaction between 2-MTHF and the SiO₂/Al₂O₃ surface. Other solid acids such as γ-Al₂O₃, H-ZSM-5, and Al-Sn-Beta were found to be active for 2-MTHF dehydration to pentadienes. The rate of ring opening decreased in the order 2,5-dimethyltetrahydrofuran > 2-MTHF > tetrahydropyran > tetrahydrofuran. Over SiO₂/Al₂O₃, the dehydration of 2,5-dimethyltetrahydrofuran resulted in 75% yield to hexadiene isomers

Mechanocatalytic Depolymerization of Dry (Ligno)cellulose As an Entry Process for High-Yield Production of Furfurals

Driven by mechanical forces, the acid-catalyzed depolymerization of solid biomass completely overcomes the problems posed by the recalcitrance of lignocellulose. The solid-state reaction leads to water-soluble oligosaccharides, which display higher reactivity than cellulose and hemicellulose. Here, we show that water-soluble oligosaccharides are useful feedstock for the high-yield production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural in biphasic reactors. This is because they readily undergo hydrolysis upon microwave heating, selectively forming monosaccharides as intermediates in the aqueous phase. Short reaction times are possible with the use of microwave heating and limit the extent of degradation reactions. This work provides an ionic-liquid-free approach to process lignocellulosic substrates into HMF and furfural with high yields. In fact, starting this novel approach with α-cellulose, yields of HMF of 79% and furfural of 80% at 443 K for 9 min were obtained. The processing of real lignocellulose (e.g., beechwood and sugar cane bagasse) also achieved high yields of HMF and furfural. Thereby, the current results indicate that the process limitation lies no longer in the recalcitrance of lignocellulose, but in the extraction of highly reactive HMF and furfural from the aqueous phase in the biphasic reactor

Selective Hydrogenation of Unsaturated Carbon–Carbon Bonds in Aromatic-Containing Platform Molecules

The combination of chemical and biological catalysis enables the production from biomass of coumarin and dihydrocoumarin (DHC), opening new routes to the formation of fine chemicals and pharmaceutical building blocks. Each of these products requires the hydrogenation of 4-hydroxycoumarin (4HC) to 4-hydroxydihydrocoumarin (4HDHC), which, in turn, requires the reduction of an unsaturated C–C bond in the presence of an aromatic ring. Using <i>in situ</i> attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, we show that reaction at 348 K over monometallic Pd catalysts leads to the partial reduction of the aromatic ring in 4HC, obtaining 93% selectivity for CC bond hydrogenation at 82% 4HC conversion and with a low turnover frequency (TOF). Decreasing the Pd dispersion from 70% to 6% not only leads to an increase in the rate of 4HC hydrogenation, but it also leads to an increase in the rate of overhydrogenation. However, the formation of bimetallic PdAu nanoparticles inhibits the overhydrogenation reaction while also doubling the TOF to a value of 6 ks^–1 for 4HDHC production. A bimetallic PdAu catalyst supported on SiO₂ leads to 97% selectivity for CC bond hydrogenation at 86% 4HC conversion, while an acidic support such as amorphous silica–alumina can be used to produce DHC directly from 4HC

Mechanistic Insights into Ring-Opening and Decarboxylation of 2‑Pyrones in Liquid Water and Tetrahydrofuran

2-Pyrones, such as triacetic acid lactone, are a promising class of biorenewable platform chemicals that provide access to an array of chemical products and intermediates. We illustrate through the combination of results from experimental studies and first-principle density functional theory calculations that key structural features dictate the mechanisms underlying ring-opening and decarboxylation of 2-pyrones, including the degree of ring saturation, the presence of CC bonds at the C₄C₅ or C₅C₆ positions within the ring, as well as the presence of a β-keto group at the C₄ position. Our results demonstrate that 2-pyrones undergo a range of reactions unique to their structure, such as retro-Diels–Alder reactions and nucleophilic addition of water. In addition, the reactivity of 2-pyrones and the final products formed is shown to depend on the solvent used and the acidity of the reaction environment. The mechanistic insights obtained here provide guidance for the selective conversion of 2-pyrones to targeted chemicals

Production of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural from Glucose Using a Combination of Lewis and Brønsted Acid Catalysts in Water in a Biphasic Reactor with an Alkylphenol Solvent

We report the catalytic conversion of glucose in high yields (62%) to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a versatile platform chemical. The reaction system consists of a Lewis acid metal chloride (e.g., AlCl₃) and a Brønsted acid (HCl) in a biphasic reactor consisting of water and an alkylphenol compound (2-<i>sec</i>-butylphenol) as the organic phase. The conversion of glucose in the presence of Lewis and Brønsted acidity proceeds through a tandem pathway involving isomerization of glucose to fructose, followed by dehydration of fructose to HMF. The organic phase extracts 97% of the HMF produced, while both acid catalysts remain in the aqueous phase

Sustainable Solvent Systems for Use in Tandem Carbohydrate Dehydration Hydrogenation

Monophasic separation-friendly solvent systems were investigated for the sustainable acid-catalyzed dehydration of fructose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). The HMF selectivity depends on both fructose conversion, temperature, and the amount of cosolvent present in the aqueous solvent mixture. Use of HMF-derived 2,5-(dihydroxymethyl)­tetrahydrofuran (DHMTHF) or low-boiling tetrahydrofuran (THF) as co-solvents results in increased selectivity (>70%) to HMF at fructose conversions of ca. 80%. Analysis of the fructose tautomer distribution in each solvent system by ¹³C NMR revealed higher furanose fractions in the presence of these and other protic (tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol) and polar aprotic co-solvents (DMSO) relative to water alone. Formation of fructosides and/or difructose anhydrides in the presence of the co-solvents causes lower selectivity at early reaction times, but reversion to fructose and dehydration to HMF at longer reaction times results in increasing HMF selectivity with fructose conversion. In 9:1 DHMTHF:water, a 7.5-fold increase in the initial rate of HMF production was observed relative to water alone. This mixed solvent system is proposed for use in a tandem catalytic approach to continuous DHMTHF production from fructose, namely, acid-catalyzed dehydration of fructose to HMF, followed by its catalytic hydrogenation to DHMTHF

Tuning Acid–Base Properties Using Mg–Al Oxide Atomic Layer Deposition

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to coat γ-Al₂O₃ particles with oxide films of varying Mg/Al atomic ratios, which resulted in systematic variation of the acid and base site areal densities. Variation of Mg/Al also affected morphological features such as crystalline phase, pore size distribution, and base site proximity. Areal base site density increased with increasing Mg content, while acid site density went through a maximum with a similar number of Mg and Al atoms in the coating. This behavior leads to nonlinearity in the relationship between Mg/Al and acid/base site ratio. The physical and chemical properties were elucidated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), N₂ physisorption, and CO₂ and NH₃ temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). Fluorescence emission spectroscopy of samples grafted with 1-pyrenebutyric acid (PBA) was used for analysis of base site proximity. The degree of base site clustering was correlated to acid site density. Catalytic activity in the self-condensation of acetone was dependent on sample base site density and independent of acid site density

Conversion of Furfural to 1,5-Pentanediol: Process Synthesis and Analysis

A new process for the production of 1,5-pentanediol (1,5-PDO) from biomass-derived furfural is studied. In this process, furfural is converted to 1,5-PDO in a high overall yield (80%) over inexpensive catalysts via multiple steps involving hydrogenation, dehydration, hydration, and hydrogenation subsequently. To effectively recycle H₂ as well as recover 1,5-PDO, detailed separation subsystems have been designed and integrated with reaction subsystems. Furthermore, a pioneer plant analysis is performed to estimate the risk on the cost growth and plant performance shortfalls. The integrated process leads to a minimum selling price of $1973 ton^–1 for 1,5-PDO, which suggests that it could be a promising approach for converting biomass into oxygenated commodity chemicals, which are difficult to produce from petroleum-derived feedstocks. The sensitivity analysis also identifies that the most important economic parameters for the process include the furfural feedstock price and plant size

Methane Conversion to Ethylene and Aromatics on PtSn Catalysts

Pt and PtSn catalysts supported on SiO₂ and H-ZSM-5 were studied for methane conversion under nonoxidative conditions. Addition of Sn to Pt/SiO₂ increased the turnover frequency for production of ethylene by a factor of 3, and pretreatment of the catalyst at 1123 K reduced the extent of coke formation. Pt and PtSn catalysts supported on H-ZSM-5 zeolite were prepared to improve the activity and selectivity to non-coke products. Ethylene formation rates were 20 times faster over a PtSn(1:3)/H-ZSM-5 catalyst with SiO₂:Al₂O₃ = 280 in comparison to those over PtSn(3:1)/SiO₂. H-ZSM-5-supported catalysts were also active for the formation of aromatics, and the rates of benzene and naphthalene formation were increased by using more acidic H-ZSM-5 supports. These catalysts operate through a bifunctional mechanism, in which ethylene is first produced on highly dispersed PtSn nanoparticles and then is subsequently converted to benzene and naphthalene on Brønsted acid sites within the zeolite support. The most active and stable PtSn catalyst forms carbon products at a rate, 2.5 mmol of C/((mol of Pt) s), which is comparable to that of state-of-the-art Mo/H-ZSM-5 catalysts with same metal loading operated under similar conditions (1.8 mmol of C/((mol of Mo) s)). Scanning transmission electron microscopy measurements suggest the presence of smaller Pt nanoparticles on H-ZSM-5-supported catalysts, in comparison to SiO₂-supported catalysts, as a possible source of their high activity. A microkinetic model of methane conversion on Pt and PtSn surfaces, built using results from density functional theory calculations, predicts higher coupling rates on bimetallic and stepped surfaces, supporting the experimental observations that relate the high catalytic activity to small PtSn particles

Mechanistic Insights into the Hydrogenolysis of Levoglucosanol over Bifunctional Platinum Silica–Alumina Catalysts

Herein, we report on the hydrogenolysis of the biorenewable intermediate levoglucosanol (Lgol) over bifunctional platinum catalysts supported on silica–alumina in tetrahydrofuran solvent. ¹³C radiolabeling is used to confirm the ring rearrangement forming tetrahydrofurandimethanol. The reaction rate and product selectivity are comparable between 1.1 and 5.3 wt % Pt loadings, indicating that, at these metal loadings, the rate-limiting step is acid catalyzed. The measured zero-order dependence in hydrogen indicates that a non-rate-determining hydrogenation step follows an acid-catalyzed irreversible rate-determining step. The measured first-order dependence in Lgol indicates that the acid sites are not highly covered by Lgol. A physical mixture of Pt/SiO₂ and SiAl catalysts displayed product selectivity similar to that of the Pt/SiAl catalyst, indicating that nanoscale proximity of metal and acid sites is not required to carry out Lgol hydrogenolysis selectively. As the Pt loading in Pt/SiAl catalysts is decreased, or when the bare SiAl support is separated from a Pt/SiO₂ catalyst in a dual-layer configuration, the selectivity toward identified products decreases. These results suggest that degradation reactions are avoided when the reactive intermediates formed over acid sites are rapidly hydrogenated over metal sites. First-principles simulations are performed to investigate the energetics of the proposed reaction pathway. A detailed reaction mechanism for Lgol hydrogenolysis is proposed on the basis of a combination of the experimental and computational results. These findings provide a fundamental understanding of the catalytic conversion of levoglucosanol over bifunctional metal–acid catalysts, facilitating rationally designed processes to produce renewable chemicals from biomass-derived levoglucosenone