Catalytic systems for the selective transformation of levulinic acid to pentanediols

Carbon dioxide emission can be reduced using renewable resources such as plant biomass as a carbon-neutral feedstock for commodity chemicals [1]. Levulinic acid (LA) is a useful C5 resource from lignocellulose. Its catalytic transformations into highly valuable chemicals such as γ-valerolactone (GVL) is quite easily obtained; however, there are few catalytic systems for its further transformation to pentanediols, even when drastic reaction conditions are used [2]. Mo and Pt already showed promising results in this reaction [3]. This work wants to investigate the role of the Mo precursor (Na2MoO4 or (NH4)6Mo7O24) and the influence of thermal treatments of Pt-Mo catalytic systems for LA hydrogenation to pentanediols. Na2PtCl4 have been impregnated on fresh or calcined (in N2) Mo/C previously prepared by wet impregnation. Pt was then reduced by NaBH4. LA hydrogenation was carried out at 150 °C and 20 bar H2 in autoclave (Parr Instrument). XPS analyses, TEM spectroscopy and acidity characterization allowed to correlate the catalytic results with specific morphological properties of the materials.