Industrial Crops and Products, 77, 163-166 (2015)
DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2015.08.048
Xylose was converted into furfural operating in a medium containing the acidic ionic liquid (AIL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate, in the presence of toluene as a co-solvent. No catalytic species different from the AIL were needed for furfural production from xylose. Operating at 100-140. °C for 15-480. min in media containing 10. g xylose/100. g AIL and 2-4. g toluene/g (AIL. +. xylose), most furfural generated in the AIL phase was transferred to the co-solvent, limiting the losses caused by undesired side reactions. Operating under optimal conditions (140. °C for 240. min using 4.4. g toluene/g initial AIL phase), xylose was almost completely consumed, and furfural was obtained at 73.8% of the stoichiometric yield.
