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Abstract:
The abundant carbohydrate fructose is converted into two biofuel molecules,} namely 2{,}5-dimethylfuran (DMF) and ethyllevulinate (EL) in a simple cascade flow reactor. With an overall yield of 85 (38.5 of 2{,}5-dimethylfuran and 47 of ethyllevulinate){, the main remainder is unconverted fructose. The two column flow reactor set-up enables to adjust temperatures and reaction times in such a way the reactive intermediate hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is generated in optimal yields and converted into the stable DMF immediately. The process is so simple and fast (< 20 min) that economic and sustainable production of these fuels and platform chemicals can be envisioned. A remaining minor char formation is regarded to be the major problem which has to be addressed by catalyst development.
