Catalytic air oxidation of biomass-derived carbohydrates to formic acid

Abstract

An efficient catalytic system for biomass oxidation to form formic acid was developed. The conversion of glucose to formic acid can reach up to 52 % yield within 3 h when catalyzed by 5 mol % of H5PV2Mo 10O40 at only 373 K using air as the oxidant. Furthermore, the heteropolyacid can be used as a bifunctional catalyst in the conversion of cellulose to formic acid (yield=35 %) with air as the oxidant. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.