Enhanced heterogeneous catalytic conversion of furfuryl alcohol into butyl levulinate

We study the catalytic condensation of furfuryl alcohol with 1-butanol to butyl levulinate. A screening of several commercial and as-synthesized solid acid catalysts shows that propylsulfonic acid-functionalized mesoporous silica outperforms the state-of-the-art phosphotungstate acid catalysts. The catalyst is prepared via template-assisted sol-gel polycondensation of TEOS and MPTMS. It gives 96 % yield (and 100 % selectivity) of butyl levulinate in 4h at 110 °C. Reaction profiles before and after a hot filtration test confirm that the active catalytic species do not leach into the solution. The catalyst synthesis, characterization, and mode of operation are presented and discussed. Sour cat: Screening several commercial and as-synthesized solid acid catalysts in the condensation of furfuryl alcohol with 1-butanol to afford butyl levulinate shows that the best catalyst is a sulfonic acid-functionalized mesoporous silica, allowing a significant improvement over the state-of-the-art. The catalyst selectively affords n-butyl levulinate in relatively short time at 110 °C. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.