Kinetics of the Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Coupling of Furfural with Biomass‐Derived Alcohols

Abstract

The tandem dehydrogenation and aldol condensation of butanol with furfural was investigated over homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts using kinetics and isotope effects. In the homogeneous system, Ni(dppe)Cl2 catalyzes the transfer dehydrogenation of butanol to the furfural, whereas the aldol condensation of butyraldehyde and furfural takes place over the basic K2CO3 cocatalyst. In the heterogeneous system, a transition‐metal‐free mixed Mg–Al oxide, both the transfer hydrogenation and aldol condensation take place over the basic sites of the catalyst, and the rate‐determining step is the alpha‐hydride transfer from the butanol to the furfural.

Continuous Flow Upgrading of Selected C2–C6Platform Chemicals Derived from Biomass

“…Goulas and Gokhale studied the kinetics of the coupled dehydrogenation of butanol into butyraldehyde and its subsequent aldol condensation with furfural. 599 The reaction was carried out in the gas phase using a fixed-bed reactor packed with Ni-MgO-Al 2 O 3 as heterogeneous catalyst. The study demonstrated that both dehydrogenation and aldol condensation reactions were catalyzed by the basic sites of the catalyst.…”

“…The scope of the methodology was extended to single and double aldol condensation with acyclic symmetrical and unsymmetrical ketones as well as cyclic ketones (Table ). Goulas and Gokhale studied the kinetics of the coupled dehydrogenation of butanol into butyraldehyde and its subsequent aldol condensation with furfural . The reaction was carried out in the gas phase using a fixed-bed reactor packed with Ni-MgO-Al 2 O 3 as heterogeneous catalyst.…”