Sustainable synthesis of biomass-derived catalysts: hydrochars and pyrochars in the perspective of acid applications

Lignocellulosic biomass is one of the more important renewable sources and it will play a strategic role in many future markets. Deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass can be carried out through hydrothermal processes and, among them, the hydrothermal carbonization promotes the progressively deoxygenation of the biomass, under relatively mild reaction condition, resulting an environmentally treatment. The obtained product, called hydrochar, can be used in a wide range of applications and in the catalysis field, within the project PRIN 2020 LEVANTE, different hydrochars have been synthesized and optimized starting from model compounds and real biomasses. Also pyrochars derived from the pyrolysis treatment of the synthesized hydrochars have been prepared and all the obtained systems, after characterization, were successfully tested as catalysts in the conversion of fructose to 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural, confirming their promising potential as acid catalysts for biomass circular exploitation.