EFFICIENT CONVERSION OF FURFURYL ALCOHOL TO ETHYL LEVULINATE AND FURFURYL ETHYL ETHER USING COPPER(II) TUNGSTATE CATALYSTS

Husni Wahyu Wijaya; Rima Prastianti Putri; Ubed Sonai Fahruddin Arrozi

doi:10.21580/wjc.v9i1.31931

Authors

Husni Wahyu Wijaya Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia, Indonesia
Rima Prastianti Putri Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia, Indonesia
Ubed Sonai Fahruddin Arrozi Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21580/wjc.v9i1.31931

Keywords:

Alcoholysis, Ethyl levulinate, Furfuryl alcohol, Copper tungstate catalyst, Furfuryl ethyl ether

Abstract

Furfuryl alcohol (FFA), a biomass-derived platform compound widely used in polymer synthesis, has considerable potential as a precursor for producing furfuryl ethyl ether (FEE) and ethyl levulinate (EL), which are high-value industrial solvents and fuel additives. Their commercial production requires an active, stable, and inexpensive catalyst. In this study, CuWO₄ catalysts calcined at different temperatures (CuWO₄-TC, CuWO₄-350, CuWO₄-500, and CuWO₄-650) were synthesized and structurally characterized using powder XRD, FTIR, and SEM-EDX. The catalytic performance of these catalysts in FFA alcoholysis using ethanol as the hydrogen donor was systematically investigated, and the products were analyzed using GC-FID and GC-MS. Among the catalysts, CuWO₄-TC exhibited 100% FFA conversion and a 99% EL yield at 160°C for 6 h. The catalytic activity of CuWO₄-350 was significantly influenced by temperature and reaction time, with 100% FFA conversion, 2% FEE yield, and 98% EL yield achieved at 180°C for 6 h. These results demonstrate the high efficiency of CuWO₄ catalysts for the selective conversion of FFA, offering a promising route for sustainable biomass valorization.

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Author Biographies

Husni Wahyu Wijaya, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia

Centre of Advanced Material for Renewable Energy (CAMRY), Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia

Rima Prastianti Putri, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia

Ubed Sonai Fahruddin Arrozi, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia

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