Direct conversion of cellulose to ethyl levulinate catalysed by modified fibrous mesoporous silica nanospheres in a co-solvent system

A KCC-1/Al–SO₃H catalyst with Si/Al = 5 was prepared to directly catalyse the synthesis of ethyl levulinate from cellulose in an ethanol/toluene co-solvent system. A reaction yield of 28.8 mol% was achieved after 6 h at 200 °C.