Development of unique process for transformation of sugars using solid acid catalyst

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25709077
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Catalyst/Resource chemical process
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Takagaki Atsushi 東京大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (30456157)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 固体酸触媒 / バイオマス / 金属酸化物 / 脱水反応 / エピ化 / 反応機構 / 糖類

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Layered niobium molybdate (HNbMoO6) was used in the aqueous-phase dehydration of sorbitol and was found to exhibit remarkable selectivity toward its monomolecular-dehydrated intermediate 1,4-sorbitan. This was attributed to the selective intercalation of sorbitol within the interlayers with strong Bronsted acid sites.
In addition, HNbMoO6, H-ZSM5 and Amberlyst-15 were found to catalyze 1,4-cyclodehydration of C4 diols in water. Although HNbMoO6 exhibited moderate activity for 1,4-butanediol dehydration, it exhibited the highest activity for erythritol dehydration, which followed a mechanism with two successive irreversible steps. The larger value of the pre-exponential factor for erythritol over 1,4-butanediol can be ascribed to the larger mobility of the activated complex due to the accessibility in the layered structure.
Moreover, the oxide efficiently catalyze the epimerization of sugars in water. The layered mixed oxides functioned as heterogeneous catalysts and could be reused.

Free Research Field

触媒化学