Enhanced Production of Biomass‐Derived δ‐Valerolactone Through Coupled Hydrogenation and Dehydrogenation Pathways
Miguel Macías‐Villasevil, Virginia de Blas‐Sánchez, Stevie H. Lima, Beatriz García, Rafael Mariscal, Jose Iglesias, Alicia García, Jovita Morenoδ‐Valerolactone (DVL) is a monomer with promising applications in the production of biodegradable and biocompatible polymers. This study addresses, for the first time, a sustainable route for DVL production by coupling liquid‐phase furfural (FF) hydrogenation with 1,5‐pentanediol (1,5‐PDO) dehydrogenation, where FF acts as a hydrogen acceptor. In addition, the potential regeneration of 1,5‐PDO from FF, thereby contributing to the closure of the material cycle, is evaluated. For this purpose, Cu─Ni─Al hydrotalcites‐derived catalysts with varying Cu:Ni ratios were prepared. Comprehensive physicochemical characterization revealed that Cu:Ni ratio strongly influences the catalyst structure and the textural properties, significantly affecting the catalytic performance of the catalysts. Catalytic tests allowed for obtaining substrate conversion values above 90% and DVL yields over 65%, demonstrating that hydrogen‐transfer coupling significantly promotes DVL production under liquid‐phase conditions. Kinetic studies based on a simplified model provided preliminary estimates of the apparent activation energies of 120 kJ mol −1 for FF hydrogenation and 80 kJ mol −1 for 1,5‐PDO dehydrogenation, highlighting the potential of dual catalytic systems for biomass valorization and the production of sustainable monomers under liquid‐phase conditions.