Issue 24, 2016

ZrO2/SBA-15 as an efficient catalyst for the production of γ-valerolactone from biomass-derived levulinic acid in the vapour phase at atmospheric pressure

Abstract

γ-Valerolactone is a promising renewable feedstock for the production of fuels and industrial chemicals. In this work, SBA-15 supported ZrO2 catalysts prepared by a wet impregnation method with various ZrO2 loadings ranging from 10 to 30 weight% have been studied for the production of γ-valerolactone from levulinic acid via catalytic transfer hydrogenation and cyclization with isopropanol as a H-donor in the vapour phase at atmospheric pressure. Among the catalysts, 25 weight% ZrO2/SBA-15 has been identified as an efficient catalyst for the transfer hydrogenation, delivering 100% conversion of levulinic acid with 93% selectivity towards γ-valerolactone. The physicochemical characteristics of these catalysts were achieved by X-ray diffraction, BET surface area, pore size distribution, UV-visible spectroscopy, temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia, SEM, TEM and ICP-OES techniques. The characterization studies divulge the presence of ZrO2 with well-dispersed acidic sites, enhanced surface area, and ease of accessibility for the active sites within the uniform pore channels, and these engendered the excellent catalytic performance with low molar ratios 1 : 7 (levulinic acid : isopropanol). Moreover, the catalyst showed sturdiness during 20 hours on-stream study.

Graphical abstract: ZrO2/SBA-15 as an efficient catalyst for the production of γ-valerolactone from biomass-derived levulinic acid in the vapour phase at atmospheric pressure

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
23 Dec 2015
Accepted
11 Feb 2016
First published
12 Feb 2016

RSC Adv., 2016,6, 20230-20239

Author version available

ZrO2/SBA-15 as an efficient catalyst for the production of γ-valerolactone from biomass-derived levulinic acid in the vapour phase at atmospheric pressure

S. S. Enumula, V. R. B. Gurram, M. Kondeboina, D. R. Burri and S. R. R. Kamaraju, RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 20230 DOI: 10.1039/C5RA27513J

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