%0 Journal Article %J RSC Advances %D 2014 %T Exceptionally high yields of furfural from assorted raw biomass over solid acids %A Bhaumik, Prasenjit %A Dhepe, Paresh Laxmikant %X

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.

%B RSC Advances %I ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY %C THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND %V 4 %P 26215-26221 %8 MAY %G eng %N 50 %3

Foreign

%4 3.84 %R 10.1039/c4ra04119d