Facile and Efficient Transformation of Lignocellulose into Levulinic Acid Using an AlCl3•6H2O/H3PO4 Hybrid Acid Catalyst

Combination use of AlCl3 center dot 6H(2)O with H3PO4 has led to the development of an efficient water-tolerant catalyst system, acting cooperatively in aqueous media to produce levulinic acid from microcrystalline cellulose. This catalyst system was extended to the direct transformation of various raw biomass resources to levulinic acid in good yields.