Magnetic core-shell Fe3O4@C-SO3H nanoparticle catalyst for hydrolysis of cellulose

Catalytic hydrolysis of cellulose over solid acid catalysts is one of efficient pathways for the conversion of biomass into fuels and chemicals. High catalytic activity and easy separation from reaction media are two important factors for evaluating the performance of the solid acid catalysts for the cellulose hydrolysis. In this study, we report a core-shell Fe3O4@C-SO3H nanoparticle with a magnetic Fe3O4 core encapsulated in a sulfonated carbon shell, as recyclable catalyst for the hydrolysis of cellulose. The sulfonated carbon shell shows a good activity, presenting 48.6 % cellulose conversion with 52.1 % glucose selectivity under the moderate conditions of 140 A degrees C after 12 h reaction. Importantly, the magnetic Fe3O4 core makes the catalysts easily separated from reaction mixtures by using the externally applied magnetic field. In addition, the Fe3O4@C-SO3H nanoparticle catalyst shows a high stability in the activity and magnetization during recycling tests, suggesting it a promising solid acid catalyst for the hydrolysis of cellulose.