Pore size tuning of functionalized SBA-15 catalysts for the selective production of furfural from xylose

Furfural (FUR) is widely used as an industrial solvent and can be potentially used as building-block to produce added-value products, such as methyltetrahydrofuran (MeTHF) or levulinic acid. It is currently manufactured from pentosan-rich biomass via steam-stripping under homogeneously catalyzed conditions. Alternatives focus on novel process optimization or on the design of heterogeneous water-tolerant Bronsted acids. In this work, functionalized SBA-15 catalysts with controlled textural properties were prepared in order to study their performance during xylose cyclodehydration. The combination of these two procedures allowed to selectively produce FUR from xylose. Preliminary catalyst screening at 140 degrees C showed a FUR selectivity maxima for the material aged at 100 degrees C. Moreover, the results revealed a direct influence of the sulfonic load and the reaction temperature on the catalytic performance of SBA-15 samples. Promising results were achieved for the propylsulfonic SBA-15 aged at 100 degrees C, since it could optimize the FUR yield up to 82% at 170 degrees C of reaction temperature. Finally, the stability of the catalysts in different solvents and their regeneration were also evaluated. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.