Catalytic Interconversion of Sugars with Zeolite and Zeotype Materials

Abstract Zeolites, a class of silica-based porous materials, have tunable acidity, high thermal stability, and shape-selectivity, which are promising solid catalysts for a variety of heterogeneously catalyzed gas- and liquid-phase processes. In past decades, biomass has been recognized as the most abundant and renewable feedstock, wherein zeolitic materials show pronounced chemocatalytic performance toward the selective synthesis of specific bio-products and liquid fuels. Among the numerous catalytic systems, acid-mediated hydrolysis of polysaccharides to simple sugars followed by downstream reactions is one of the promising approaches for catalytic upgrading of saccharide-containing solutions. In particular, catalytic isomerization of aldoses to corresponding ketoses has been reported to be an important transformation to produce platform chemicals, in which Lewis and Bronsted acid-containing catalysts can be employed to change the product selectivity. This chapter collects recent examples of isomerization of different sugars (C3–C6) catalyzed by zeolites, and special emphasis is placed on discussing the role of Lewis and/or Bronsted acidic sites. Finally, a brief description of bifunctional catalyst for the transformations of biomass-based substrates is also provided.