Synthesis of Renewable Lubricant Alkanes from Biomass‐Derived Platform Chemicals

Abstract The catalytic synthesis of liquid alkanes from renewable biomass has received tremendous attention in recent years. However, bio‐based platform chemicals have not to date been exploited for the synthesis of highly branched lubricant alkanes, which are currently produced by hydrocracking and hydroisomerization of long‐chain n ‐paraffins. A selective catalytic synthetic route has been developed for the production of highly branched C 23 alkanes as lubricant base oil components from biomass‐derived furfural and acetone through a sequential four‐step process, including aldol condensation of furfural with acetone to produce a C 13 double adduct, selective hydrogenation of the adduct to a C 13 ketone, followed by a second condensation of the C 13 ketone with furfural to generate a C 23 aldol adduct, and finally hydrodeoxygenation to give highly branched C 23 alkanes in 50.6 % overall yield from furfural. This work opens a general strategy for the synthesis of high‐quality lubricant alkanes from renewable biomass.