Hydrogenation of levulinic acid to γ-valerolactone over hydrophobic Ru@HCP catalysts

This study introduces an efficient strategy for promoting the synthesis of gamma-valerolactone (GVL) via levulinic acid (LA) hydrogenation. A series of hyper-crosslinked porous polymer (HCP) supported Ru catalysts with different monomers were prepared. The wettabilities were controlled by the surface functional groups. The hydrophobic catalysts showed much higher activity than the hydrophilic ones in the hydrogenation of LA to GVL, highly possible due to the substrate enrichment. Further insight showed that the reaction proceeded through the 4-HVA route. These results illustrated the importance of surface wettability in bio-based molecule upgrading, which is beneficial for catalyst design. This study introduces an efficient strategy for promoting the synthesis of gamma-valerolactone (GVL) via levulinic acid (LA) hydrogenation.

Automated summary

This study introduces an efficient strategy for promoting the synthesis of gamma-valerolactone (GVL) via levulinic acid (LA) hydrogenation by controlling the surface wettability. The hydrophobic catalysts showed higher activity than the hydrophilic ones in the reaction, which is important for bio-based molecule upgrading.