Valorization of furfural to obtain high value-sdded products with ZrO2- and Al2O3-Pillared clays

Abstract

Two phyllosilicates (montmorillonite and saponite) have been selected as starting materials to synthesize ZrO2- and Al2O3-pillared clays by the insertion of polyoxocations and subsequent calcination. These pillared clays display higher surface area, porosity and available acid sites in comparison to their respective raw clays. These samples were tested in the one-pot process to transform furfural into obtain valuable products. The incorporation of ZrO2 allows to reach the highest furfural conversion values, with high yields towards furfuryl alcohol (FOL) at shorter reaction times, whereas the formation of i-propyl furfuryl ether (iPFE) is favored at longer times, attaining iPFE yields of about 50% after 24 h at 170 ºC, using isopropanol as sacrificing alcohol.