(289f) Resolving Impacts of Acidity and Morphology on the Decarboxylation of ?-Valerolactone

γ-valerolactone decarboxylation occurs in the gas-phase over acid sites in various crystalline and amorphous solid oxides. Focusing on aluminosilicates, one generally observes considerable variation in decarboxylation activity and apparent kinetic parameters with changes in aluminum content and morphology; however, the fundamental origins of these phenomena are difficult to resolve. γ-valerolactone decarboxylation occurs in sequence with γ-valerolactone ring opening, and both reactions occur on Brønsted and Lewis sites to varying extents. Here, we pair a systematic consideration of ring opening and decarboxylation activity on multiple solid oxides—including MFI, MOR, BEA, and FER zeolites—with detailed characterization of acid site density and distribution. Our aim is to resolve contributions of Brønsted acidity, Lewis acidity, and framework morphology in order to rationalize the performance of various materials in the decarboxylation of γ-valerolactone.