Upgrading of lignocellulosic biomass-derived furfural: An efficient approach for the synthesis of bio-fuel intermediates over γ-alumina supported sodium aluminate

The synthesis of value-added chemicals from simple molecules originating from biomass have been greatly acknowledged today. Herein, we report a sustainable protocol for the furfural (FUR) condensation with acetone (Ac) over gamma-Al2O3 supported sodium aluminate (SA) catalyst. The SA/gamma-Al2O3 catalysts are characterized with different techniques like TPD, XRD, TGA, BET, SEM, and FTIR analysis. The effect of SA loading, catalyst concentration, mole ratio, reaction time, and the reaction temperature on product distribution were investigated systematically. The 25wt.% SA/gamma-Al2O3 demonstrated the unprecedented conversion of FUR (99.5%) with 90% selectivity to 4-(2-Furyl)-3-buten-2-one (FAc) under mild reaction conditions. The catalyst surpassed the activity of state of the art materials reported for this transformation. The textural properties of SA/gamma-Al2O3 are in good correlation with the observed catalytic activity of the material. The significant catalytic activity is attributed to its inherent properties such as the active sites distribution over high specific surface area (SSA), amount of basic sites, and inherent mesoporosity. The catalytic activity of the 25SA/gamma-Al2O3 is compared with the various catalysts reported and is superior to the reported catalysts. On top of it, recycling experiments have proven that the catalyst is stable that can be used repeatedly with consistent catalytic activity.

Automated summary

The study presents a sustainable protocol for the condensation of furfural with acetone over gamma-Al2O3 supported sodium aluminate catalyst, showing excellent conversion and selectivity under mild reaction conditions. The catalytic activity is attributed to the properties of the catalyst, including active sites distribution, specific surface area, and mesoporosity. Comparison with other catalysts shows superior performance, and recycling experiments demonstrate the stability of the catalyst with consistent catalytic activity.