Cellulose Conversion into Polyols Catalyzed by Reversibly Formed Acids and Supported Ruthenium Clusters in Hot Water

摘要

Cellulose is the most abundant source of biomass, and holds impressive potential as an alternative to fossil fuels for sustainable production of fuels and chemicals. To this end, cellulose conversion into polyols, among the various primary conversion routes explored to date, is evolving as a very viable option in terms of energy efficiency and atom economy. The biomass-derived polyols such as sorbitol and glycerol are being considered as new bioplatform molecules,'6"91 which can be efficiently converted into H2, synthesis gas, alkanes, liquid fuels, and oxygenates, for example, by the aqueous-phase processing developed recently by Dumesic and co-workers.