Kaolinite Catalyst for the Production of a Biodiesel-Based Compound from Biomass-Derived Furfuryl Alcohol

Abstract

We report herein that pristine kaolinite was used to produce furanic ethers from furfuryl alcohol (FFA) with high catalytic performance (95% conversion and 96% selectivity). Kaolinite, supplied commercially and prepared without any treatment, was characterized by XRD, NH3-TPD, surface area analysis, and FT-IR spectroscopies. The result showed that the Lewis and Brønsted acid sites played a crucial role in the formation of furanic ether. The reusability tests showed that kaolinite was stable until the fifth consecutive run.