Liquid-phase dehydration of D-xylose over microporous and mesoporous niobium silicates

Microporous AM-11 crystalline niobium silicates were studied as solid acid catalysts for the dehydration of xylose in a water-toluene solvent mixture at 140–180 °C. After 6 h at 160 °C, xylose conversions of up to 90% and furfural yields of up to 50% were achieved, and the catalysts could be reused without loss of activity or selectivity. The calcined AM-11 catalysts gave higher furfural yields than HY zeolite and mordenite, under identical reaction conditions. Ordered mesoporous MCM-41-type niobium silicates with Si/Nb molar ratios of either 25 or 50 were also found to be recyclable catalysts for xylose dehydration, and gave furfural yields consistently in the range of 34–39% (after 6 h reaction at 160 °C).