Antibiotic residue derived solid acids for ethanolysis of furfuryl alcohol into ethyl levulinate

A series of antibiotic residue derived solid acids were developed for the selective transformation of bio-based furfuryl alcohol into ethyl levulinate. KOH modification and chlorosulfonic acid decoration of gentamicin residue derived carbon materials played a crucial role in ethyl levulinate production. Various characterization methods were employed for unveiling the structural information regarding porous characteristics and functional groups, such as FT-IR, N2 adsorption–desorption, SEM, etc. The yields of 2-(ethoxymethyl)furan and ethyl levulinate were particularly associated with the acid density of gentamicin residue derived solid acids. Gratifyingly, a maximum ethyl levulinate yield of 84.5% was achieved at 160 °C after 1.5 h. The recovery and reutilization of the catalyst in successive reactions demonstrated that gentamicin residue derived solid acids maintained good activity and stability even after four cycles. The present research thus highlights a novel direction for high-value utilization of antibiotic residues as well as the synthesis of platform chemicals over organic waste derived catalytic materials.