@article { ISI:000338434800028, title = {Exceptionally high yields of furfural from assorted raw biomass over solid acids}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {50}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {26215-26221}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Development of stable and recyclable solid acid catalysts in the efficient valorisation of hemicellulose to yield C-5 sugars and furfural is vital to boost the prospects of using lignocelluloses for chemicals synthesis. Using an silicoaluminophosphate, namely SAPO-44, as a catalyst, an environmentally benign process of furfural synthesis from diversified real substrates (without any treatment or the need for separation of its components) is shown. In an efficient one-pot methodology, at 443 K and in the presence of a biphasic solvent system, selective conversions of hemicelluloses from raw biomass (bagasse, rice husk and wheat straw) to extraordinarily high yields of furfural of about 93\% were attainable. Under similar reaction conditions, an 82\% yield of furfural is also achievable directly from isolated hemicellulose within 10 h. Hydrophilic SAPO-44, having higher hydrothermal stability, showed similar activity for all the substrates for a minimum of up to 8 times in recycling runs. Various physicochemical characterizations (X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis-derivative thermogravimetry, temperature programmed desorption-NH3, N-2 sorption, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) of fresh and spent catalysts were used to improve SAPO-44 stability.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra04119d}, author = {Bhaumik, Prasenjit and Dhepe, Paresh Laxmikant} }