Chemistry

Materials science

Furfural

Sulfolane

Cellulose

Solvent

Levulinic acid

Catalysis

Organic chemistry

Pulp and paper industry

Yield (engineering)

Chemical engineering

Nuclear chemistry

Engineering

Composite material

Direct conversion of cellulose into levulinic acid and furfural in sulfolane media with the aid of water and H2SO4 was performed at 140–220 °C under the pressures of 0–1.5 MPa. This approach could obtain 72.5 mol% levulinic acid and 11.5 mol% furfural formation under an optimal condition in which the mass ratio of sulfolane, water and H2SO4 was 90:10:1. It was found that the decrease of water content led to an increasing yield of furfural and that the maximum furfural yield (51.1 mol%) could be obtained in the absence of water. The synergism of sulfolane and water in the selective liquefied system was demonstrated to be responsible for not only reinforced effect of optimizing and isolating the target products but also for reducing re-polymerization and side reactions. Furthermore, sulfolane in our case could be recycled and re-used for the conversion of cellulose with the same yield, which shed light on the remarkable potential for future industrial application.

Selective conversion of cellulose to levulinic acid and furfural in sulfolane/water solvent