Study on the Formation of Ethyl Levulinate from Wheat Straw Based on a Model Compound

Glucose and microcrystalline cellulose were selected as model compounds to investigate the formation of ethyl levulinate (EL). Optimal glucose and microcrystalline cellulose transformation conditions resulted in yields of 41.05 wt.% and 38.56 wt.% for EL, 0.73 wt.% and 2.63 wt.% for ethyl-glucoside (EG), 0.42 wt.% and 0.36 wt.% for 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), and 2.18 wt.% and 2.16 wt.% for 5-ethoxy methyl furfural (EMF), respectively. Increasing the reaction time and temperature resulted in an optimized yield of EL. These increases also resulted in decreased EG and EMF yield, and the change trend of HMF was not significant. EMF, HMF, and EG are intermediates in the formation of EL. Finally, we concluded that biomass conversion occurs first through cellulose degradation to glucose followed by the production of EG through alcoholysis and hydrolysis and dehydration of the reaction products to produce EL.