The transformation
of renewable feedstocks into high-value chemicals
is a sustainable and eco-friendly energy technology. In this work,
a functionalized 1,3-diene (1-(2-furyl)-1,3-butadiene, F-diene), with
significant importance in high-performance elastomer production, was
produced from a furfural–acetone adduct. Heteropolyacids were
developed as efficient and eco-friendly catalysts, and a 96% selectivity
toward F-diene was obtained. The relationship between catalyst structure
and catalytic efficiency (conversion, selectivity, and formation rate)
suggests that F-diene production is dependent on both the Keggin structure
and the acidity (the amount of Brønsted and Lewis acids) of the
catalysts. Linear fitting of the F-diene formation rate and acidity
indicates that the catalytic capacity enhancement is linearly correlated
with the amount of Brønsted acid sites, and the importance of
Lewis acids is also deduced. Finally, Ce species was employed to improve
the initial activity of the catalysts and yielded 93% selectivity
toward F-diene after 5 h on stream. Thus, a synergistic effect between
Brønsted and Lewis acids on this reaction was revealed, especially
in the initial stage of the reaction.