Hydrogenation of Biomass-Derived Levulinic Acid to Gamma- Valerolactone Using Polymer-Based Metal-Containing Catalysts

Abstract

Nowadays the development of effective catalytic systems of selective hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA) to gamma-valerolactone (GVL) is of high importance. However, there is a lack of data concerning the use of polymer-based catalyst in this process. The possibility to use of Ru-containing catalysts on the basis of hypercrosslinked polystyrene (HPS) in hydrogenation of LA to GVL is discussed. Catalyst 5%-Ru/HPS is shown to be highly active and selective in hydrogenation of LA in aqueous medium (yield of GVL more than 99%) at mild reaction conditions (90 °C, 2 MPa of hydrogen partial pressure) and the absence of co-catalysts.