Development of Catalytic Strategies and Microreactor Technology for the Synthesis of Bio-based Furanics from Lignocellulosederived Carbohydrates

In this research project, efforts have been given to developing efficient catalytic strategies and microreactor technology for the synthesis of HMF or furfural from the lignocellulose-derived C6 or C5 sugars, by exploring (i) the insights into the kinetics and reaction network of the homogeneous acid-catalyzed sugar dehydration to HMF and furfural, (ii) the structure-acidity-performance relation of the heterogeneous bi-functional acid catalyst for the glucose dehydration to HMF, and (iii) utilization of microreactors as a platform for reaction and kinetic studies and as a tool for process intensification and up-scaling