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Zeolites as sustainable catalysts for the selective synthesis of renewable bisphenols from lignin‐derived monomers
Author(s) -
Ferrini Paola,
Koelewijn StevenFriso,
Van Aelst Joost,
Nuttens Nicolas,
Sels Bert F.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
chemsuschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.412
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1864-564X
pISSN - 1864-5631
DOI - 10.1002/cssc.201700338
Subject(s) - catalysis , chemistry , zeolite , lignin , organic chemistry , lignocellulosic biomass , bisphenol , furfural , environmentally friendly , bisphenol a , biomass (ecology) , ecology , oceanography , epoxy , biology , geology
Alternative biobased bisphenols from lignocellulosic biomass are not only favorable to reduce the environmental impact of current petroleum‐derived plastics, but they can be simultaneously beneficial for health issues related to bisphenol A (BPA). Additionally, conventional BPA synthesis entails a large excess of unrecoverable homogeneous acid catalyst (e.g., HCl) or unrecyclable thermolabile sulfonated resins. In this report, zeolites are proposed as recoverable and thermally stable solid acids for the Brønsted‐acid‐catalyzed condensation between 4‐methylguaiacol and formaldehyde to selectively produce renewable bisphenols. It is found that the Brønsted‐acid‐site density plays a pivotal role for catalyst performance. In particular, the cheap and environmentally friendly FAU 40 exhibits outstanding activity (turnover frequency of 496 h −1 ) and selectivity (>95 %), outperforming even the best benchmark catalyst. Additionally, the zeolite can be easily recycled without activity loss after regeneration by coke burn‐off. The catalytic zeolite system also seems very promising for other lignin‐derived alkylphenols, alkylguaiacols, and alkylsyringols.