Levulinic acid is produced during the hydrolysis of sugars to furans, as a decomposition of unstable HMF (Fig. 6.8). High yield to levulinic acid can be obtained by adjusting the reaction conditions using acid minerals as catalyst (Bozell et al., 2000; Martin Alonso et al., 2010a).

How to produce levulinic acid?

Levulinic acid (LA), one of the platform chemicals, can be produced chemically using renewable resources such as starch waste and lignocellulosic biomass which sounds to be an attractive alternative owing to its abundance and environmentally benign nature.

What is levulinic acid derived from?

Levulinic acid, or 4-oxopentanoic acid, is an organic compound with the formula CH₃C(O)CH₂CH₂CO₂H. It is classified as a keto acid. This white crystalline solid is soluble in water and polar organic solvents. It is derived from degradation of cellulose and is a potential precursor to biofuels, such as ethyl levulinate.