Effective one‐pot tandem synthesis of γ ‐valerolactone from biogenic furfural over zirconium phosphate catalyst

γ-Valerolactone (GVL) is a renowned starting material in production of bio-fuels, valuable chemicals and polymers. The one-pot tandem synthesis of GVL from furfural without a cumbersome intermediate separation/purification process is highly desired, yet the transformation remains challenging owing to the complicated reaction routes. Zirconium phosphate (ZrPO), a cheap and easily prepared solid catalyst with Lewis–Brønsted dual acidity, is herein discovered to enable one-pot tandem transformation of furfural into GVL with using 2-propanol as H-donor/solvent to proceed smoothly. In addition, ZrPO prepared by hydrothermal method exhibits superior catalytic performance in comparison with the counterpart prepared by co-precipitation method, giving a 42.7% yield of GVL at 180 °C. The difference in catalytic activity between ZrPO materials prepared by hydrothermal method and co-precipitation method is linked with their morphology and acid sites density. Furthermore, the as-prepared ZrPO catalyst works in a heterogeneous manner and can be reused for multiple times without significant deactivation. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd