Thermodynamic interpretation of catalytic transformation of levulinic acid over supported perovskites catalysts: dynamic equilibrium and nonlinear arrhenius behavior investigation

The development of active heterogeneous catalysts for the conversion of levulinic acid (LA) is central to the realization of LA as an alternative source of sustainable and renewable fuel. Herein, we investigated the potential use of ABO3 perovskite catalysts in the conversion of LA to ester products by in-depth thermodynamic analysis using nonlinear Arrhenius plots. In a first of its kind for biomass-derived substrate’s valorization, this study shows that the catalyst supports used in immobilizing the active perovskite phases are central to the nonconformity to linear Arrhenius plots. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity of the supports plays a major role in driving the dynamic equilibrium in the conversion of LA. The ABO3 lanthanum-based silica (SiO2), alumina (Al2O3), and titania (TiO2) supported perovskites, LaMO3 (M = Co, Fe, and Mn) induced sub-Arrhenius behavior when supported on all supports. This leads to an understanding that thermodynamics are inherently associated with the overall catalyst’s chemical and physical properties.