• Energy Research
• 2016-2025close

Aromatization of furan and substituted furans over zeolite catalysts is a promising reaction to convert cellulose-derived compounds into valuable aromatic hydrocarbons and light olefins. A lack of understanding of the reaction mechanism however hinders further development of this process. Here, we propose the reaction mechanism, underlying the chemistry of furan and methanol co-aromatization over HZSM-5 zeolite catalyst. Applying 13C isotope labeling in a combination with NMR spectroscopy and high temporal resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, we demonstrate that aromatization of furan and methanol are not mechanistically separated and can be described within the dual-cycle hydrocarbon pool mechanism. Cofeeding furan with methanol leads to a significant enhancement of light aromatics selectivity and increased catalyst lifetime.

In recent years, the urgency to replace fossil-based resources by renewablebiomass for obtaining chemical building blocks has only increased. Carbohydrate-derivedfuranic compounds are regarded as promising platforms for a renewable value chain. Thehigh reactivity of such biobased intermediates requires the development of novel catalyticchemistry to enhance product yield. The protection of reactive functional groupsprovides a way to improve the product selectivity. Such protection strategies are commonpractice in the synthesis offine chemicals and pharmaceuticals but are not fully exploredfor the conversion of furanic compounds. In this perspective, several examples ofprotection strategies focusing on the selective passivation of 5-HMF are discussed.Formation and removal of these protection groups are highlighted as well as theapplication of the neutralized 5-HMF in further processing. A guide for selecting theappropriate protection strategy depending on the targeted chemistry and operatingconditions is provided.