Microwave-Assisted Conversion of Levulinic Acid to γ-Valerolactone Using Low-Loaded Supported Iron Oxide Nanoparticles on Porous Silicates

Abstract

The microwave-assisted conversion of levulinic acid (LA) has been studied using low-loaded supported Fe-based catalysts on porous silicates. A very simple, productive, and highly reproducible continuous flow method has been used for the homogeneous deposition of metal oxide nanoparticles on the silicate supports. Formic acid was used as a hydrogen donating agent for the hydrogenation of LA to effectively replace high pressure H2 mostly reported for LA conversion. Moderate LA conversion was achieved in the case of non-noble metal-based iron oxide catalysts, with a significant potential for further improvements to compete with noble metal-based catalysts.

Mechanochemically Synthesized Supported Magnetic Fe-Nanoparticles as Catalysts for Efficient Vanillin Production

“…TEM images of 40% FeMagC at 400 • C and 30% FeMagN at 400 • C ( Figure 3A,B) depicted that iron-oxide nanoparticles were successfully incorporated on the Al-SBA-15 surface. In both cases, the Al-SBA-15 support displays its characteristic well-crystallized and porous structure [48]. Also, in both examples, several darker areas, which can be clearly associated with the iron-oxide counterpart, were observed.…”

Microwave-assisted preparation of Ag/Ag2S carbon hybrid structures from pig bristles as efficient HER catalysts

“…8,15,16 Based on recent endeavours from our group in microwave chemistry and biomass valorisation, herein we report a sustainable and innovative one-step synthesis of pig bristlesderived Ag/Ag 2 S carbon hybrid structures via a microwave-assisted reaction. [17][18][19] The synthesized material exhibited a high performance as catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this way, the designed nanohybrid material follows the principles of circular economy, being derived from a biowaste (pig bristles), also being used as a catalyst for the sustainable production of hydrogen.…”

Interfacial acidity in ligand-modified ruthenium nanoparticles boosts the hydrogenation of levulinic acid to gamma-valerolactone

“…From a process viewpoint, the hydrogenation of levulinic acid to GVL have been traditionally conducted in batch reactors, [21][22][23][24][25]36 mainly due to the simplicity of the equipment. However, it is now widely recognised that continuous-flow reactors offer important benefits in terms of process intensification, safety, evaluation of deactivation phenomena, and kinetic analysis under steady state.…”