Haixin Guo

A cellulose-derived carbonaceous solid acid catalyst that has superparamagnetism was synthesized by incomplete hydrothermal carbonization of cellulose followed by Fe3O4 grafting and –SO3H group functionalization. The as-prepared superparamagnetic carbon catalyst contained –SO3H, –COOH, and phenolic –OH groups and exhibited good catalytic activity for the hydrolysis of cellulose in either an ionic liquid phase or aqueous phase. A total reducing sugar (TRS) yield of 68.9% was obtained with ionic l

Hydrogen sulfate ionic liquid additives with aluminum chloride catalyst in ethanol were found to promote efficient (30 min) one-pot, one-step transformation of glucose into 5-ethoxymethylfurfural (5-EMF) in 37% yields. Spectroscopic measurements (FT-IR, 1H NMR) showed that ionic liquids form multiple hydrogen bonds with glucose and promote its ring opening through ionic liquid–AlCl3 complexes to enable formation of 5-EMF via 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF). Reactions performed in dimethyl sulfox

As one of the substitutes for traditional fossil energy, the biomass resource has attracted extensive attention. Levulinate esters (LEs) are important green and high value-added chemical molecules. Catalytic routes based on acid catalysts are developed for the production of levulinate esters from various biomass-derived materials. In this review, the catalytic route for preparation of levulinate esters from C5/C6 carbohydrates is summarized. The effects of homogeneous and heterogeneous acid syst

La-based metal oxide materials are environmentally friendly and show promise for phosphate adsorption. A series of Al-doped perovskite oxides, such as LaFe_<i>x</i>Al_1-<i>x</i>O₃, were prepared using a facile citric acid-assisted sol-gel method. The characterization results demonstrated that with optimized Al doping, there was a significant increase in the specific surface area and increased defect content of perovskite oxide LaFe_<i>x</i>Al<sub>1-<i>x</

Renewable resources must be upgraded to platform chemicals and biofuels, especially furanic compounds such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and 5-ethoxymethylfurfural (5-EMF), to meet the needs of a sustainable society. This review examines chemocatalytic approaches to 5-EMF via alcoholysis of 5-(halomethyl)furfural or etherification of 5-HMF with attention being given to direct catalytic conversion of biomass-derived materials into 5-EMF. Emphasis is placed on the reaction mechanisms and path

Plant-based waste biomass with lignocellulose as an important component is produced in large quantities worldwide every year. The components of lignocellulose that typically exhibit high utilization value include cellulose and hemicellulose, as well as pentoses and hexoses derived from their hydrolysis. As a pretreatment for the hydrolysis process, delignification is a pivotal step to enhance cellulose/hemicellulose accessibility and achieve high yields of fermentable sugars. Additionally, deep