Examinando por Autor "Penedo, S."

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    Efficient conversion of levulinic acid into alkyl levulinates catalyzed by sulfonic mesostructured silicas
    (ELSEVIER, 2013) Melero, J.A.; Morales, G.; Iglesias, J.; Paniagua, M.; Hernández, B.; Penedo, S.
    Sulfonic mesoporous silicas have demonstrated an outstanding catalytic performance in the esterification of levulinic acid with different alcohols to produce alkyl levulinates, a family of chemicals considered to be excellent oxygenated fuel extenders for gasoline, diesel and biodiesel. Catalyst screening indicated that propylsulfonic acid-modified SBA-15 material was the most active one, among tested materials, due to a combination of moderately strong sulfonic acid sites with relative high surface hydrophobicity. Under optimized reaction conditions (T = 117 ºC, ethanol/levulinic acid molar ratio = 4.86/1 and catalyst/levulinic acid = 7 wt.% ) almost 100% of levulinic acid conversion was achieved after 2 h of reaction, being negligible the presence of levulinic acid by-products or ethers coming from intermolecular dehydration of alcohols. The catalyst has been reused, without any regeneration treatment, up to three times keeping almost the high initial activity. Interestingly, a close catalytic performance to that achieved using ethanol has been obtained with bulkier alcohols.