Hydrogen‐bonding network mediated highly efficient and selective sorbitol dehydration catalyzed by deep eutectic solvent

Abstract

The catalytic dehydration of sorbitol to isosorbide is a key route for the sustainable production of bio‐based platform chemicals, yet low product yield and severe side reactions remain critical challenges. In this work, how the hydrogen‐bonding network of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) mediates the highly efficient and selective sorbitol dehydration was investigated. Among different DESs, betaine/methanesulfonic acid (Bet‐MSA) with 1.0:1.1 molar ratio shows a maximum isosorbide yield of 85.03% under optimized conditions. The strong hydrogen‐bonding network within DESs effectively activates sorbitol molecules, stabilizes reaction intermediates, and lowers the activation energy of the desired pathway, thereby enhancing catalytic selectivity. The non‐steady state kinetic model can well predict the concentration changes of key components, in which Bet‐MSA contributes to lower activation energy for the desired sorbitol formation pathway through the hydrogen‐bonding interactions, thereby enhancing selectivity. This work provides mechanistic insights for the design and optimization of industrial sorbitol dehydration processes.