Valeric Biofuels from Biomass‐Derived γ‐Valerolactone: A Critical Overview of Production Processes

MARTÍNEZ FIGUEREDO, KARLA GERALDINE; MARTÍNEZ, FRANCISCO A.; SEGOBIA, DARÍO JOBINO; BERTERO, NICOLÁS MAXIMILIANO

ChemPlusChem

Wiley-VCH

Año: 2023

2192-6506

This review analyzes critically the production of valericbiofuels from gamma-valerolactone, a relevant biomass-derived platformmolecule. Initially, the main properties of valeric esters as fuels forspark- and compression-ignition engines are summarized. Then,catalytic routes to valeric esters from gamma-valerolactone aremeticulously analyzed, describing the acid- and metal-catalyzedreactions taking part in the tandem catalysis. Only works focused onthe production of the valeric biofuels were considered, excluding thecases where these esters were observed in minor amounts or asbyproducts. The role of the appropriate selection of the support,catalytic species, catalyst preparation and experimental conditionson the valeric ester productivity are thoroughly commented. Finally,some concluding remarks and perspectives are given, mentioningthe areas where additional efforts must be done in order to turn thedream of a massive and renewable valeric biofuel production into areality.