Kinetics of γ-valerolactone formation during aqueous phase hydrogenation of levulinic acid over supported Ru

摘要

γ-valerolactone (GVL) is a flexible platform chemical that can be produced, from cellulosic resources. Once prepared, GVL can be processed to yield a range of commodity and specialty chemicals or fransportation fuels. One strategy for GVL production is based on the aqueous phase hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA). This is typically accomplished using supported Ru catalysts, and we consider here various hydrogenation pathways, reaction kinetics, and catalyst stability.