Zeolite-catalyzed acetalization reaction of furfural with alcohol under solvent-free conditions

Acetalization reactions present a viable method for producing valuable chemicals and protecting carbonyl functionalities in organic compounds. Herein, several commercial zeolites were used as solid acid catalysts in the acetalization of biomass-derived furfural with alcohols under solvent-free conditions. The effects of major reaction parameters such as catalyst concentration, reaction temperature, and reaction time were investigated. Among the tested catalysts, SAPO-34 with appropriate acid sites and textural structure exhibited the highest catalytic activity under optimized reaction conditions. Additionally, the catalyst showed excellent recyclability and no obvious deactivation was observed even after using it six times.