Influence of the presence of impurities and of the biomass source on the performance of Ru catalysts in the hydrolytic hydrogenation of cellulose towards γ-valerolactone

Abstract

γ-Valerolactone is one of the important molecules envisaged for future biorefinery schemes due to its advanced applications as a fuel or chemical. However, the direct conversion of waste, polluted lignocellulosic biomass towards γ-valerolactone still faces many challenges, notably due to the influence of impurities and of the nature of the biomass feedstock on the catalytic activity. Our work aimed at investigating the influence of both the presence of exo- and endogenic impurities and of the biomass source nature (softwood vs. hardwood) on the performances of Ru catalysts in the hydrolytic hydrogenation of cellulose towards γ-valerolactone. We identified key-factors which can be detrimental for the heterogeneous catalyst and for the process efficiency, among which the feedstock properties, its composition and the presence of reaction by-products is emphasized. Particularly, the softwood and hardwood origin of the biomass or its harvesting place – that impacts on the kind and the level of impurities – can strongly influence the reaction performance and the γ-valerolactone yield.