Furfuryl alcohol can be derived from biomass and converted to levulinic acid – an important precursor compound for many useful chemicals including liquid fuels – via an acid-catalysed hydration reaction. US-based scientists have explored the mechanism of this conversion and noted several reaction pathways and intermediates.
This is a potentially very important step towards understanding this “green” route to high value compounds.
Read the full details of this exciting research today:
Experimental and Theoretical Studies of the Acid-Catalyzed Conversion of Furfuryl Alcohol to Levulinic Acid in Aqueous Solution
Gretchen Gonzalez Maldonado , Rajeev Surendran Assary , James Dumesic and Larry Curtis
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE03465D
