Hierarchical Fe-Sn/Beta catalyzes the conversion of glucose to methyl lactate

Bimetallic modified Fe-Sn/Beta was synthesized and examined as a solid acid catalyst for the transformation of glucose into methyl lactate in methanol. The catalysts were characterized by a combined characterization techniques i.e. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, N-2 physisorption, powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, NH3 temperature-programmed desorption, and pyridine adsorption Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. A high yield of methyl lactate of 67% was achieved upon conversion of 0.3 g glucose in 24 g methanol over 0.15 g catalyst at 220 celcius under 2 MPa N-2 for 6 h. The recyclability of the catalyst was also investigated, and the conversion of glucose remained constant; conversely, the yield of methyl lactate decreased slightly in five catalytic runs. The excellent catalytic performance of Fe-Sn/Beta was attributed to the presence of large amounts of Lewis acid sites. Besides, the rich mesoporosity in Fe-Sn/Beta improved mass transfer rates in the conversion of glucose to alkyl lactates.

Automated summary

The bimetallic modified Fe-Sn/Beta catalyst showed high efficiency in converting glucose into methyl lactate, with good analytical performance and stability.