Transformation of corncob into furfural by a bifunctional solid acid catalyst

Area of Science:

• Biomass Conversion
• Catalysis
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Furfural is a key platform chemical derived from biomass.
• Efficient and sustainable methods for furfural production are in high demand.
• Corncob is an abundant and underutilized lignocellulosic biomass resource.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-yield transformation route for converting raw corncob into furfural.
• To synthesize and characterize a novel solid acid catalyst for this conversion.
• To optimize reaction conditions and understand the catalytic mechanism.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal carbonization and sulfonation of sucralose to prepare a chlorine-bearing solid acid catalyst (HSCSO3H).
• Catalytic testing of HSCSO3H in various solvents, optimizing temperature, time, and feedstock loading.
• Analysis of catalyst structure and functional groups (COOH, phenolic OH, Cl, SO3H) to understand catalytic activity.

Main Results:

• Achieved a furfural yield of 90.8 mol% (20.9 wt%) from corncob at 448 K in 30 min using the HSCSO3H catalyst in a gamma-valerolactone/water system.
• Demonstrated significant furfural yields from cellulose as well.
• Identified synergistic effects between functional groups, solvent properties, and temperature contributing to high catalytic performance.

Conclusions:

• The developed HSCSO3H catalyst is effective for the high-yield conversion of corncob to furfural.
• The catalyst exhibits bifunctional properties with distinct binding and catalytic sites.
• This catalytic strategy offers an efficient and promising route for biomass valorization.