LAUSR

Currently, the catalytic upgrade of biomass-derived platform molecules into valuable chemicals is of great interest. In this work, an integrated route for upgrading concentrated furfural (17.3–80.5 wt %) in ethanol through the combination of Meerwein–Ponndorf–Verley reduction with in situ cross aldol condensation is developed, and the two valuable products, furfuryl alcohol and 3-(2-furyl)acrolein, are highly selectively obtained by using Zr-β zeolite as Lewis acid catalyst and alkali metal carbonate as base catalyst. It is found that the efficient match of the two types of reactions plays a key role in upgrading furfural in this integrated process. Under optimal conditions, the highest conversion and mass conversion rate of furfural can reach up to 84.9% and 95.3 g·L–1·h–1, respectively. This process also provides efficient separation of the two products by making use of their distinct solubilities in water.