Tin oxide-coated transition metal oxide molecular wires for biomass conversion

Abstract

Catalytic conversion of cellulosic biomass to levulinic acid is interesting and important to utilize biomass for the production of raw chemicals. Herein, Sn oxide-coated transition metal oxide molecular wires, tin tellurotungstate and tin selenotungstate, were synthesized as catalysts for the abovementioned conversion. The characterization results showed that Sn oxide was successfully formed and coated on the external surfaces of the tellurotungstate and selenotungstate molecular wires and the structures of the molecular wires were retained. These materials were used as acid catalysts for the conversion of cellulose in an aqueous solution to form levulinic acid. The Sn oxide-coated catalysts showed superior catalytic activity to that of metal oxide molecular wire catalysts under the same reaction conditions.