Catalytic Conversion of Levulinic Acid in Higher Added Value Products: Sustainable Routes for Esters Production

Abstract

The current increase in demand for chemical products has searched for new sources of non-fossil raw material, particularly lignocellulosic biomass, and oilseed biomass. The use of lignocellulosic raw materials can bring benefits to countries with large territorial extensions and high biomass productivity, among which Brazil occupies a prominent place. Biomass is a cheap, renewable raw material that can be used to produce different chemical products, including levulinic acid, which is obtained from the acid hydrolysis of lignocellulose carbohydrates. Levulinic acid is an excellent starting point to produce various chemical products of high value-added, such as g-valerolactone, aminolevulinic acid, N-5-methyl- 2-pyrrolidones or alkyl levulinate. This review will present the catalytic routes to obtain alkyl levulinate from the esterification reaction of levulinic acid with alcohols as well as the application of the esters as additives to fuels and lubricants.