Direct Hydrocyclization of Biomass‐Derived Levulinic Acid to 2‐Methyltetrahydrofuran over Nanocomposite Copper/Silica Catalysts

Abstract

Copper/silica nanocomposite catalysts prove efficient for the direct hydrocyclization of biomass-derived levulinic acid to cyclic 2-methyltetrahydrofuran in the vapor phase, at moderate hydrogen pressures. A nickel-promoted copper/silica catalyst with a high copper loading (72 wt %) is particularly effective for the direct hydrocyclization (89 % selectivity). The catalysts are stable during long-term experiments, showing little sign of leaching or sintering. Detailed facts of importance to specialist readers are published as ”Supporting Information”. Such documents are peer-reviewed, but not copy-edited or typeset. They are made available as submitted by the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.