title: Kinetics of Levoglucosenone Isomerization.
abstract: We studied the acid-catalyzed isomerization of levoglucosenone (LGO) to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and developed a reaction kinetics model that describes the experimental data across a range of conditions (100-150 °C, 50-100 mm H2SO4, 50-150 mm LGO). LGO and its hydrated derivative exist in equilibrium under these reaction conditions. Thermal and catalytic degradation of HMF are the major sources of carbon loss. Within the range of conditions studied, higher temperatures and shorter reaction times favor the production of HMF. The yields of HMF and levulinic acid decrease monotonically as tetrahydrofuran is added to the aqueous solvent system, indicating that water plays a role in the LGO isomerization reaction. Initial-rate analyses show that HMF is produced solely from LGO rather than from the hydrated derivative of LGO. The results of this study are consistent with a mechanism for LGO isomerization that proceeds through hydration of the anhydro bridge, followed by ring rearrangement analogous to the isomerization of glucose to fructose.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, United States.
authors.forename: Siddarth H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Krishna
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, United States.
authors.forename: Theodore W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, United States.
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Dumesic
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, United States.
authors.forename: George W
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7838-6893
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Huber
mesh_terms: D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic / Q000737:chemistry*; D005662:Furaldehyde / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D005947:Glucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D007536:Isomerism; D007700:Kinetics; D008956:Models, Chemical; D013464:Sulfuric Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; D013464:Sulfuric Acids; D014867:Water; C008046:5-hydroxymethylfurfural; C512757:1,6-anhydro-3,4-dideoxyhex-3-enopyran-2-ulose; D005662:Furaldehyde; D005947:Glucose; C033158:sulfuric acid
keywords: 5-hydroxymethylfurfural; biomass; isomerization; kinetics; levoglucosenone