Production of platform chemicals from sustainable exploitation of biomasses

The focus of the present research is the production of important platform chemicals, such as, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and levulinic acid (LA), from sustainable exploitation of biomasses under the perspective of Biorefinery concept. In this scenario, HMF synthesis from fructose and inulin has been investigated in water under microwave irradiation in the presence of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. LA synthesis from both raw dedicated biomasses and waste ones has been optimized, aiming at a complete circular economy. Moreover, hydrogenation of pure HMF and biomass-derived HMF to 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan and 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydro furan has been performed in water. On the other hand, as concerns LA, crude mixtures of LA and formic acid were hydrogenated to ɤ-valerolactone (GVL).