Hydrophobic Solid Acids and Their Catalytic Applications in Green and Sustainable Chemistry

Acid catalysts are widely used in petrochemical reactions, the synthesis of fine chemicals, and biomass conversions in industry. To comply with the principles of green and sustainable chemistry, much attention is being paid to the replacement of traditional liquid acids with solid acid catalysts. Normally, solid acids exhibit hydrophilicity because of the unique hydrophilic nature of the acidic sites on their surfaces. Water, as a typical solvent, byproduct, or negative component in a variety of acid-catalyzed reactions, may be adsorbed on solid acids and then cause the deactivation of catalytic sites or hydrolysis of the frameworks. The development of solid acids with suitable hydrophobicity largely overcomes these issues and enhances their catalytic activities and reusability. This Review discusses some recent advances in the preparation of novel solid acids with controllable wettability and suitable hydrophobicity and highlights their application in catalyzing various reactions such as esterification, transesterification, acylation, condensation, hydration, and depolymerization of crystalline cellulose. In addition, this Review discusses how the hydrophobicity of solid acids is affected by their structures, surface characteristics, and acid centers, and determines the principles for designing solid acids with high catalytic activity and good reusability. It is instructive for researchers who are interested in designing new kinds of solid acids with improved efficiency and reusability for applications in green and sustainable chemistry.