(338e) Oxidation of Levulinic Acid for the Production of Maleic Anhydride over Supported Vanadates

Levulinic acid (LA) has
an intriguing functionality and, as a platform chemical, can play a central
role in emerging technologies focusing in the production of bio-based
commodities. Here, we describe an exciting new pathway for the utilization of
LA that involves catalytic synthesis of maleic anhydride (MA) via oxidative cleavage
of the methyl carbon in LA over supported vanadates.
The approach is demonstrated in a continuous flow, packed bed reactor, and we
have observed that VO_x supported on SiO₂ achieves
single-pass MA yields as high as 71% at 573K. 
Further, preliminary analysis suggests that LA might compete with butane
as a feedstock for MA production. Finally, bifunctional LA and monofunctional
2-pentanone display contrasting oxidative cleavage selectivities, indicating
that methyl carbon cleavage during vapor phase oxidation over supported vanadates is unique to LA