Dipolar Modification in Heterogeneous Catalysts under Electron Beam Irradiation for the Conversion of Biomass-Derived Platform Molecules

Herein, an efficient and practical approach for dipolar modification of commercially available solid catalysts is reported. The solid catalysts HMS (hexagonal mesoporous silica)-DMSO decorated with organic dipolar layers are designed and synthesized by radiation technology under simple and accessible conditions. The dipolar catalysts can serve as platforms to introduce various active sites, benefiting from the flexibility and diversity of the dipolar layer, which in turn allow them to achieve catalytic performance in relatively friendly systems. Specifically, the upgraded dipolar catalyst HMS-DMSO-SO3H exhibits good performance in converting the oxidized lignin model compound of alpha-hydroxyacetophenone to 1,3-dioxolane derivatives and dehydrating isomaltulose to glycosyloxymethyl-furfural (GMF).