Production of methyl levulinate from cellulose: selectivity and mechanism study

The alcoholysis of cellulose into methyl levulinate (ML) in methanol media was investigated in the presence of several kinds of acid catalyst. One of the synthesized solid niobium-based phosphate catalysts was found to be highly efficient for the generation of ML, reaching an ML yield as high as 56%, higher than the LA yield (52%) in aqueous solution with the same reaction conditions as those used in our previous study (Green Chem., 2014, 16, 3846-3853). More interestingly, in water, very strong Lewis acid promoted the formation of LA; but in methanol, Bronsted acid enhanced the formation of ML. In-depth investigation showed that the mechanism and type of intermediates of cellulose alcoholysis in methanol were different from those in water and a high Bronsted/Lewis acid ratio (known as B/L acid ratio) of solid catalysts is needed to prevent the generation of by-products, namely, methyl lactate and 1,1,2-trimethoxyethane. This new-proposed reaction mechanism affected by the B/L acid ratio was very helpful for the design of efficient catalysts.