Selective Hydrogenation of Xylose to Xylitol over Co/SiO₂ Catalysts

Abstract

Xylose can be selectively converted to xylitol in water, with an optimized yield of 98 %, in the presence of a simple silica supported monometallic cobalt – Co/SiO2 – catalyst. This catalyst displays initial outstanding catalytic properties in a proper solvent, the best results being obtained in pure water. Recyclability studies show a moderate deactivation of the catalyst, while selectivity to xylitol remains almost unchanged after 4 cycles, confirming that this catalyst formulation is very promising for the xylitol production process.

Biological and Pharmacological Potential of Xylitol: A Molecular Insight of Unique Metabolism

“…Recently, xylose is reduced in the presence of 5 wt.% simple silica-supported monometallic cobalt-Co/SiO 2 -catalyst at 150 • C, under 5 MPa of hydrogen for 30 min. The process yielded up to 77% xylitol, which increased to 98% under optimized operating conditions [13]. However, the metal catalysis has been under scrutiny due to its high operating cost and poor environmental sustainability.…”

Synthesis of Furfuryl Alcohol from Furfural: A Comparison between Batch and Continuous Flow Reactors

“…Catalyst preparation: The Co 3 O 4 /SiO 2 material, with a metal loading of 10 wt.% was prepared using incipient wetness impregnation method as described previously [27] using Co(NO 3 ) 2 •and aerosil silica (380). The dry solid was calcined at 500 • C for 6 h to obtain the Co 2 O 3 /SiO 2 sample.…”

“…X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis is performed using a Bruker Empyrean with a Co cathode. N 2 -physisorption experiments were obtained on an Autosorb 1-MP instrument, at 77 K. The catalysts were treated under vacuum à 350 • C for 3 h and the surface area, the pore size as well as the pore volume were determined as described previously [27]. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) experiments were performed on a JEOL 2100 UHR (Ultra High Resolution) instrument operated at 200 kV, equipped with a LaB6 source and a Gatan ultra scan camera.…”

Efficient Synthesis of Sugar Alcohols over a Synergistic and Sustainable Catalyst

“…In recent years, several studies applied non‐noble metal catalysts for hydrogenation of lignocellulosic‐derived sugars, but most studies only yield a single xylitol or sorbitol, and did not obtain or study high value‐added arabitol or mannitol. [ 19,24‐26 ] The following side reactions are one of the main reasons for the low yield of sugar alcohols (especially arabitol) in the reported literatures. It is well known that sugar alcohols can be produced by hydrogenation or isomerization/hydrogenation of lignocellulosic‐derived sugars.…”