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Efficient Production of Ethyl Levulinate from Furfuryl Alcohol Catalyzed by Modified Zirconium Phosphate
Author(s) -
Zhai Peng,
Lv Guojun,
Cai Zhe,
Zhu Yongqiang,
Li Haichao,
Zhang Xubin,
Wang Fumin
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
chemistryselect
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 34
ISSN - 2365-6549
DOI - 10.1002/slct.201900315
Subject(s) - zirconium , catalysis , furfuryl alcohol , zirconium phosphate , lewis acids and bases , chemistry , sulfuric acid , phosphate , inorganic chemistry , nuclear chemistry , yield (engineering) , alcohol , organic chemistry , materials science , metallurgy
The catalytic activities of various solid acid catalysts were investigated via the reaction of the direct alcoholysis from furfuryl alcohol to ethyl levulinate. The modified zirconium phosphate with sulfuric acid, prepared via a sol‐gel method, exhibited excellent catalytic performance. By controlling the S/Zr mole ratio of 0.5 at the catalyst preparation, the modified zirconium phosphate catalyst obtained catalytic activity of 97.8% EL yield and 100% FA conversion. The mechanism of enhancing catalytic activity of modified zirconium phosphate was investigated. Owing to the higher specific surface area and more Lewis and Brønsted acid sites, the modified zirconium phosphate catalyst displayed higher catalytic activity in comparison to unmodified zirconium phosphate. In addition, the modified zirconium phosphate catalyst was suitable for a broad temperature range. This modification method can provide a new way to enhance Lewis and Brønsted acidity of zirconium phosphate by adjusting S/Zr ratio rather than the P/Zr ratio.