Biomass revalorization using alternative hydrogen sources: Synthesis of γ-valerolactone Authors Roger Bujaldón Jaume Garcia-Amorós Elvira Gómez Albert Serrà DOI: 10.2436/20.2003.01.153 Keywords: Biomass, γ-valerolactone, heterogeneous catalysis, in situ hydrogenation. Abstract The search for eco-friendlier conditions to generate high value-added organic products, especially if the reagents come from biomass transformation processes, is a basic step towards sustainable development. This study explores the production of one of these derivatives, namely γ-valerolactone, by means of the in situ hydrogenation of levulinic acid. For this purpose, two hydrogenation sources were tested as alternatives to molecular hydrogen: formic acid and isopropanol. In the first stage, we carried out a screening of different heterogeneous catalysts, revealing the need for a large specific area, which prompted the choice of Raney nickel because of its nature and accessibility. In the second stage, we determined that isopropanol allows lower temperatures and shorter reaction times, entailing a reduction in energy consumption. Lastly, we observed that the transition from aqueous to alcoholic medium further promotes the reaction, with yields close to 100%. Downloads Download data is not yet available. Downloads PDF (Català) Issue No. 23 (2024) Section Articles License The intellectual property of articles belongs to the respective authors. On submitting articles for publication to the journal Revista de la Societat Catalana de Química, authors accept the following terms:Authors assign to Catalan Society of Chemistry (a subsidiary of Institut d’Estudis Catalans) the rights of reproduction, communication to the public and distribution of the articles submitted for publication to Revista de la Societat Catalana de Química.Authors answer to Catalan Society of Chemistry for the authorship and originality of submitted articles.Authors are responsible for obtaining permission for the reproduction of all graphic material included in articles.Catalan Society of Chemistry declines all liability for the possible infringement of intellectual property rights by authors.The contents published in the journal, unless otherwise stated in the text or in the graphic material, are subject to a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (by-nc-nd) 3.0 Spain licence, the complete text of which may be found at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es/deed.en. Consequently, the general public is authorised to reproduce, distribute and communicate the work, provided that its authorship and the body publishing it are acknowledged, and that no commercial use and no derivative works are made of it.The journal is not responsible for the ideas and opinions expressed by the authors of the published articles.
