Cu/H–ZSM-5: A highly active and selective catalyst for the production of γ-valerolactone from biomass-derived levulinic acid

Investigating alternative energy sources is now crucial since the topic of climate action is growing in significance. One of the most promising renewable biomass feedstocks is levulinic acid (LA), which can be converted via an intermediary called γ-valerolactone (GVL) into value-added products. This study examined the hydrogenation of levulinic acid to γ-valerolactone using various copper-supported H–ZSM-5 catalysts with different Cu loadings (2–30 wt%) that were synthesized using a simple impregnation technique. The synthesized catalyst's morphological and chemical structure was examined using a variety of techniques, including XRD, N₂ adsorption-desorption, TPR, TPD–NH₃, and N₂O titration. Overall, at 265°C and 30 hours of time on stream (TOS), 5 Cu/H–ZSM-5 showed the best conversion (87%) and selectivity (83%).

One of the most promising renewable biomass feedstocks is levulinic acid (LA), which can be converted via an intermediary called γ-valerolactone (GVL) into value-added products. This study examined the hydrogenation of levulinic acid to γ-valerolactone using copper-supported H–ZSM-5 catalysts with different Cu loadings.