Sulfonated CMK-3: an effective catalyst for the glucose conversion to butyl levulinate as the fuel additive

Abstract

The conversion of biomass to biofuels or fuel additives is an important process in the industrial and petrochemical processes. In this investigation, butyl levulinate as a fuel additive was synthesized using a sulfonated CMK-3 catalyst and glucose as a reactant. The effect of two catalysts, which were prepared with two different sulfone reactants, was studied. The influence of other parameters including reaction temperature, reaction time, catalyst amount, and initial glucose amount was evaluated by the Taguchi method. Among the four selected factors, the initial glucose amount was the most effective on the dehydration of glucose to butyl levulinate. Under optimum conditions, using the reaction obtained from experimental design, 70.4% yield and > 99% conversion were calculated for butyl levulinate and glucose, respectively. Also, the conversion of different carbohydrates such as maltose, sucrose, and fructose to butyl levulinate was investigated. Finally, the catalyst reusability was surveyed, and it was observed that the spent catalyst demonstrated high activity in five cycles.