No abstract

Gamma-valerolactone is a valuable chemical that can be obtained by catalytic methods from nonedible vegetable biomass. However, the demand is felt for more environmentally friendly and cost-effective production processes. The topic is reviewed in this paper from the perspective of catalyst design. Focus is on those systems enabling one-pot reaction sequences in the liquid phase at low energy expenses and combining metal and acid sites, spanning from homogeneous to heterogeneous catalysts. A final section is dedicated to continuous flow applications. The 230 references cover the most significant achievements published in the literature from January 2011 to July 2014 and highlight critical issues and future trends.

Rigid diols catalytically produced from biomass derivatives have been proposed as bisphenol A functional replacements.

No abstract

No abstract

Heterogeneous catalysts enabling multiple reaction sequences in one pot have a great potential for large‐scale production processes in terms of productivity, cost‐effectiveness, and low environmental impact. This paper reviews the most representative examples and the recent achievements in the field of solid bifunctional metal/acid‐site catalysts and their application to the production of fine chemicals through selective, cooperative, or sequential processes in single reactor units. The literature that appeared from January 2009 to January 2012 is covered.

The oxidation reaction of 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural to the bioplastic monomer 2,5‐furandicarboxylic acid over heterogenous resin‐supported Pt catalysts was investigated in detail, under continuous flow, base‐free conditions, and in neat water. The product was continuously obtained in 99 % yield by running the reaction at 120 °C, 303 s residence time, 1.2 mL min−1 O2 flow rate, and 7.7 bar O2 pressure. The product was isolated with a high space‐time‐yield of 46.0 g L−1 h−1 without purifications or acid/base treatments.

The selective multi-step conversion of monosaccharides to anhydro-sugar alcohols was achieved in one-pot, one-stage by a bifunctional Ru catalyst.