Issue 7, 2024

Aluminum ion intercalation in mesoporous multilayer carbocatalysts promotes the conversion of glucose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

Abstract

In this study, an efficient modification strategy was proposed by facile loading of trace aluminum ions and p-toluene sulfonic acid (p-TSA) in carbon materials to improve their catalytic activity. p-TSA is then proven to regulate the carbonization process and promote the formation of mesoporous and multilayer structures. The hexa-coordinated aluminum structure is characterized by 1H–27Al solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which serves as the Lewis–Brønsted acid site in carbocatalysts. Accordingly, the resulting catalyst facilitates a yield of ∼70% for converting glucose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) with a maximum carbon balance of around 91.4% at 150 °C in 6 h. In situ NMR, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and isotope labeling analysis reveal that the hexa-coordinated aluminum sites promote the isomerization of glucose, and the sulfonic groups facilitate the subsequent dehydration and rehydration of fructose and levoglucosan intermediates. Kinetic models further indicate the decreased energy barrier for glucose conversion over the Al3+/p-TSA intercalated carbocatalyst. This work provides a promising strategy for engineering waste-derived carbocatalysts toward effectively converting carbohydrates to precursors of biofuels and bioplastics.

Graphical abstract: Aluminum ion intercalation in mesoporous multilayer carbocatalysts promotes the conversion of glucose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
30 Nov 2023
Accepted
22 Dec 2023
First published
16 Jan 2024

Dalton Trans., 2024,53, 3386-3396

Aluminum ion intercalation in mesoporous multilayer carbocatalysts promotes the conversion of glucose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

M. Li, L. Jiang, S. Feng, J. Huang, P. Zhang and J. Zhang, Dalton Trans., 2024, 53, 3386 DOI: 10.1039/D3DT04000C

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