Manufacture of furfural in biphasic media made up of an ionic liquid and a co-solvent

Xylose was converted into furfural operating in a medium containing the acidic ionic liquid (AIL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate, in the presence of toluene as a co-solvent. No catalytic species different from the AIL were needed for furfural production from xylose. Operating at 100-140 degrees C for 15-480 min in media containing log xylose/100 g AIL and 2-4g toluene/g (AIL + xylose), most furfural generated in the AIL phase was transferred to the co-solvent, limiting the losses caused by undesired side reactions. Operating under optimal conditions (140 degrees C for 240 min using 4.4g toluene/g initial AIL phase), xylose was almost completely consumed, and furfural was obtained at 73.8% of the stoichiometric yield. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.