Enhanced Production of Biomass‐Derived δ‐Valerolactone Through Coupled Hydrogenation and Dehydrogenation Pathways
δ‐Valerolactone (DVL) is a monomer with promising applications in the production of biodegradable and biocompatible polymers. This study addresses, for the first time, a sustainable route for DVL production by coupling liquid‐phase furfural (FF) hydrogenation with 1,5‐pentanediol (1,5‐PDO) dehydrogenation, where FF acts as a hydrogen acceptor. In addition, the potential regeneration of 1,5‐PDO from FF, thereby contributing to the closure of the material cycle, is evaluated. For this purpose, Cu─Ni─Al hydrotalcites‐derived catalysts with varying Cu:Ni ratios were prepared. Comprehensive physicochemical characterization revealed that Cu:Ni ratio strongly influences the catalyst structure and the textural properties, significantly affecting the catalytic performance of the catalysts. Catalytic tests allowed for obtaining substrate conversion values above 90% and DVL yields over 65%, demonstrating that hydrogen‐transfer coupling significantly promotes DVL production under liquid‐phase conditions. Kinetic studies based on a simplified model provided preliminary estimates of the apparent activation energies of 120 kJ mol −1 for FF hydrogenation and 80 kJ mol −1 for 1,5‐PDO dehydrogenation, highlighting the potential of dual catalytic systems for biomass valorization and the production of sustainable monomers under liquid‐phase conditions.
Authors
- Jovita Moreno (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7614-4025)
- Stevie H. Lima (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6709-5102)
- Alicia Garcı́a (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8221-0161)
- Rafael Mariscal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1891-1748)
- José Iglesias (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5929-2608)
- M. Macías-Villasevil (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0355-7995)
- Beatriz García (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7869-5231)
- Virginia de Blas-Sánchez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1513-8980)
Institutions
- Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (ES)
- Instituto de Catálisis y Petroleoquímica (ES)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ChemSusChem
- Published
- 2026-10-27
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.71181
- Primary Topic
- Catalysis for Biomass Conversion
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Agencia Estatal de Investigación