FURFURYL ALCOHOL 99%

Zhu, Wenhao, et al. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects 724 (2025): 137443.

Furfuryl alcohol (FA) was employed as a crosslinking agent to synthesize sucrose-furfuryl alcohol-itaconic acid (SFI) resin, which subsequently formed the basis of SFIA foam with ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP) as a flame-retardant additive. Initially, FA and itaconic acid (IA) were mixed in a 500 mL beaker, and the pH was adjusted to 2 using p-toluenesulfonic acid (65 % aqueous solution). The mixture was heated in a 100 °C water bath for 10 minutes to generate FI resin. Sucrose was then incorporated under continuous stirring at 100 °C for 20 minutes, yielding SFI resin.
For foam formation, an AC foaming agent and dimethyl silicone oil were added to the SFI resin and stirred at 50 rpm for 10 minutes. ADP was subsequently incorporated and stirred for an additional 5 minutes. The resulting mixture was transferred into molds and cured in an oven at 120 °C for 24 hours, producing SFIA foam. Comparative foams, SIA and SFA, were prepared using analogous procedures for performance benchmarking.
Characterization revealed that FA facilitated crosslinking among sucrose, IA, and ADP, leading to a dense cellular structure (average pore size 278.86 μm, wall thickness 65.32 μm) and exceptional compressive strength (3.481 MPa, slightly reduced to 3.317 MPa after 72 h UV exposure). The foam exhibited low thermal conductivity (0.054 W·m-1·K-1), high thermal stability, and superior flame retardancy (LOI 46.1 %, UL-94 V-0 rating). Notably, the foam is biodegradable, highlighting FA's role in producing sustainable, high-performance building materials.
This study underscores furfuryl alcohol's critical function in crosslinking reactions for high-strength, thermally stable, and flame-retardant biodegradable foams.

Fuentes-Rodriguez, Laura, Adrien Le Corre, and Yolanda Cesteros. Applied Catalysis A: General 698 (2025): 120238.

Furfuryl alcohol (FA) was applied as a renewable platform chemical for the selective synthesis of levulinic acid (LA) using sulfonic-acid functionalized zeolite catalysts under microwave-assisted conditions. Commercial zeolites, including Na-ZSM-5, NH4-βeta, and Na-mordenite, were first protonated and subsequently functionalized with sulfonic acid groups to enhance their Brønsted acidity and accessibility of active sites.
The catalytic reactions were conducted in an acetone-water solvent mixture, chosen for its greener and sustainable properties. The influence of zeolite structure on catalytic performance was systematically investigated. One-dimensional H-mordenite displayed negligible selectivity toward LA due to limited accessibility of FA molecules to internal acid sites. However, post-sulfonation, the external surfaces of mordenite became more active, increasing LA selectivity to 40 %. Sulfonated βeta zeolite demonstrated the highest selectivity, achieving 76 % LA formation at complete FA conversion. Notably, H-βeta exhibited superior stability upon reuse, as deactivating by-products adsorbed during reaction could be removed via calcination.
The results emphasize that furfuryl alcohol can be efficiently transformed into value-added levulinic acid when combined with structurally optimized, sulfonated zeolite catalysts, highlighting the synergy between FA reactivity, zeolite surface functionalization, and sustainable reaction media. This study provides a compelling example of green catalysis for biomass-derived chemicals, where FA serves as a key renewable feedstock for high-yield production of platform molecules under environmentally friendly conditions.

Tang, Yiwei, et al. Chemical Engineering Journal 508 (2025): 160968.

Furfuryl alcohol (FFA), a versatile biomass-derived platform chemical, was directly converted into 1,5-pentanediol (1,5-PDO) using a NiLa@ZrO2 catalyst, providing a sustainable route for the production of polyesters, polyurethanes, and fungicides. The catalyst design combined La species with ZrO2 to increase the abundance of basic sites and oxygen vacancies, while the close proximity of Ni0 and basic sites facilitated both homolytic and heterolytic dissociation of molecular hydrogen, enhancing hydrogenation efficiency.
Catalytic reactions were conducted in a 10 mL autoclave at stirring speeds of 1000 rpm. A typical reaction involved 1.0 mmol FFA, 0.1 g catalyst, and 5 mL isopropanol. After purging with H2 three times and pressurizing, the reactor was heated between 120-200 °C for a controlled duration. Post-reaction, the solution was filtered, and products were quantified via GC-FID and GC-MS analysis.
Mechanistic investigations revealed that the C=C bond of FFA was initially hydrogenated to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, followed by heterolytic cleavage of the C2-O bond activated by the catalyst's basic sites and oxygen vacancies, yielding 1,5-PDO with up to 72.5 % selectivity. Catalyst recyclability was demonstrated through multiple cycles, with spent catalysts recovered, washed with ethanol, dried under vacuum, and reused without significant activity loss.
This study illustrates that furfuryl alcohol can be efficiently upgraded to 1,5-PDO using a non-precious metal catalyst, highlighting a practical, green approach for converting renewable C5 feedstocks into high-value diols for industrial polymer and chemical applications.