Critical Review on the Synthesis of Levulinate Esters from Biomass-Based Feedstocks and Their Application

As one of the substitutes for traditional fossil energy, the biomass resource has attracted extensive attention. Levulinate esters (LEs) are important green and high value-added chemical molecules. Catalytic routes based on acid catalysts are developed for the production of levulinate esters from various biomass-derived materials. In this review, the catalytic route for preparation of levulinate esters from C5/C6 carbohydrates is summarized. The effects of homogeneous and heterogeneous acid systems on the levulinate ester yields and the catalyst recyclability were expounded. The effect of reaction solvents and heating methods on LE selectivity was presented. Given the apparent differences in the synthesis of LEs with different heating methods in current publications, current challenges and prospects for the synthesis of LEs from biomass-derived compounds are provided. The lab-scale catalytic synthesis of levulinate esters from a biomass process has been developed. This review will facilitate and inspire future research on LE synthesis from biomass.