Efficient Conversion of Glucose into Lactic Acid over the Lewis Acidity Enhanced Sn-Beta Catalyst

Area of Science:

• Green chemistry and catalysis
• Biomass conversion
• Carbohydrate chemistry

Background:

• Lactic acid production from carbohydrates is a sustainable route for biomass valorization.
• Developing efficient catalysts is crucial for industrial applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare a Sn-Beta catalyst for efficient lactic acid production from glucose.
• To optimize reaction conditions for maximizing lactic acid yield.
• To elucidate the structure-activity relationship of the catalyst.

Main Methods:

• Post-synthesis preparation of Sn-Beta catalyst.
• Catalytic conversion of glucose to lactic acid under optimized conditions (180 °C, 2 MPa, 30 min).
• In-depth catalyst characterization (e.g., confirming Sn dispersion and Lewis acid sites).

Main Results:

• Achieved a high lactic acid yield of 76.0% from glucose.
• Optimized reaction parameters including time, temperature, pressure, and substrate-to-catalyst ratio.
• Demonstrated uniform dispersion of 2 wt% Sn in Beta zeolite, increasing Lewis acid density.
• Confirmed catalyst stability over five cycles under mild conditions.

Conclusions:

• The Sn-Beta catalyst effectively promotes lactic acid production via enhanced isomerization and retro-aldol condensation.
• The catalyst's structure, particularly the increased Lewis acid sites, is key to its high performance.
• The developed catalytic system shows significant potential for industrial biomass utilization due to its efficiency and stability.