title: Selective and recyclable depolymerization of cellulose to levulinic acid catalyzed by acidic ionic liquid.
abstract: Cellulose depolymerization to levulinic acid (LA) was catalyzed by acidic ionic liquids (ILs) selectively and recyclably under hydrothermal conditions. The effects of reaction temperature, time, water amount and cellulose intake were investigated. Dilution effect becomes more pronounced at lower cellulose intake, dramatically improving the yield of LA to 86.1%. A kinetic model has been developed based on experimental data, whereby a good fit was obtained and kinetic parameters were derived. The relationships between IL structure, polymeric structure and depolymerization efficiency were established, shedding light on the in-depth catalytic mechanism of IL, inclusive of acidity and hydrogen bonding ability. The LA product can be readily separated through extraction by methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) and IL can be reused over five cycles without loss of activity. This environmentally friendly methodology can be applied to selective production of LA from versatile biomass feedstocks, including cellulose and derivatives, glucose, fructose and HMF.
authors.affiliation: Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China.
authors.forename: Huifang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, Jurong Island 627833, Singapore.
authors.forename: Buana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Girisuta
authors.affiliation: Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China.
authors.forename: Yonggui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China. Electronic address: lliu@dlut.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D052578:Ionic Liquids / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D007982:Levulinic Acids / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010316:Particle Size; D058105:Polymerization; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D052578:Ionic Liquids; D007982:Levulinic Acids; D014867:Water; D002482:Cellulose; C032246:levulinic acid
keywords: Biomass; Cellulose; Depolymerization; Ionic liquids; Levulinic acid