Abstract
The use of common metal salts as catalysts for 5-ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF) synthesis from carbohydrate transformation was performed. Initial screening suggested AlCl3 as an efficient catalyst for EMF synthesis (45.0%) from fructose at 140 °C. Interestingly, CuSO4 and Fe2(SO4)3 were found to yield comparable EMF at lower temperature of 110 to 120 °C, and high yields of ethyl levulinate (65.4–71.8%) were obtained at 150 °C. However, these sulfate salts were inactive in EMF synthesis from glucose and the major product was ethyl glucoside with around 80% yield, whereas EMF of 15.2% yield could be produced from glucose using CrCl3. The conversion of sucrose followed the accumulation of the reaction pathways of fructose and glucose, and a moderate yield of EMF could be achieved.
Highlights
Biomass is abundant available and renewable, which has the potential to displace steadily depleting fossil resources for the sustainable supply of fuels and chemicals in the future, especially through the transformation of biomass-derived carbohydrates [1,2]. 5-Ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF)is such a promising carbohydrate-based liquid chemical, and it has received considerable attention purporting its potential use as a transportation fuel [3]
The conversion of sucrose followed the accumulation of the reaction pathways of fructose and glucose, and a moderate yield of EMF
A variety of substances were detected after the reaction, namely glucose, fructose, ethyl glucoside (EGO), ethyl fructoside (EFO), HMF, EMF, and ethyl levulinate (EL)
Summary
Is such a promising carbohydrate-based liquid chemical, and it has received considerable attention purporting its potential use as a transportation fuel [3]. This is because EMF has a relatively high energy density of 8.7 kWh L−1 , which is nearly as good as regular gasoline (8.8 kWh L−1 ) and diesel fuel (9.7 kWh L−1 ), and apparently higher than widely concerned bioethanol (6.1 kWh L−1 ) [4,5]. Research on the transformation of carbohydrates to EMF has been reported at an increasing rate. Significant advances have been made from persistent research, obstacles of using the heterogeneous catalysts include the complex preparation of the catalyst, Catalysts 2017, 7, 182; doi:10.3390/catal7060182 www.mdpi.com/journal/catalysts
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