Efficient conversion of levulinic acid into alkyl levulinates catalyzed by sulfonic mesostructured silicas

Authors:  J.A. Melero, G. Morales, J. Iglesias, M. Paniagua, B. Hernández, S. Penedo

Abstract:
Sulfonic mesoporous silicas have demonstrated an outstanding catalytic performance in the esterification oflevulinic acid with different alcohols to produce alkyl levulinates, a family of chemicals considered to be excellent oxygenated fuel extenders for gasoline, diesel and biodiesel. Catalyst screening indicated that propylsulfonic acid-modified SBA-15 material was the most active one, among tested materials, due to a combination of moderately strong sulfonic acid sites with relative high surface hydrophobicity. Under optimized reaction conditions (T = 117^◦C, ethanol/levulinic acidmolar ratio = 4.86/1 and catalyst/levulinic acid = 7 wt%) almost 100% of levulinic acid conversion was achieved after 2 h of reaction, being negligible the presence of levulinic acid by-products or ethers coming from intermolecular dehydration of alcohols. The catalyst has been reused, without any regeneration treatment, up to three times keeping almost the high initial activity. Interestingly, a close catalytic performance to that achieved using ethanol has been obtained with bulkier alcohols.

Keywords:
Sulfonic acids
Levulinic acid
Alkyl levulinates
Fuel formulation
Acid catalysis

Published in: Applied catalysis A: General  (Volume 466, Pages 1-314, 10 September 2013)

Publisher: Elsevier  

ISSN Information: 0926-860X

Efficient conversion of levulinic acid into alkyl levulinates catalyzed by sulfonic mesostructured silicas

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