Catalytic potential of green ordered mesoporous carbons, obtained from biomass-derived xylose, glucose, and lignin

Green high-surface area Ordered Mesoporous Carbons (OMCs) (576–948 m2/g) were successfully synthesized by the hard template method using xylose, glucose and lignin solutions obtained from almond shells, a local biomass waste, as carbon precursors, and SBA-15 as a template. The catalytic potential of OMCs, as catalytic supports or as catalysts, has been preliminarily tested for different reactions of interest. A dried sulfonic-acid treated OMC, obtained from xylose extract, led to full conversion and 92% selectivity to di- and tri-ethers of glycerol for the glycerol etherification with isobutene at 80 °C. A sulfonic-acid treated OMC, obtained from glucose, presented a higher turnover frequency (TOF) value and slightly lower selectivity to levulinic acid than commercial Amberlyst-15 for the conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural at 180 °C. The use of an OMC obtained from lignin as catalytic support of a nickel catalyst combined with H-Beta led to 78% of selectivity to cyclohexane at total conversion for the hydrodeoxygenation of guaiacol at 180 °C.