Claudio Oldani

Conversion of Cellulose into Amphiphilic Alkyl Glycosides Catalyzed by Aquivion, a Perfluorosulfonic Acid Polymer

The perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) Aquivion PW98 is an amphiphilic solid superacid which is shown to catalyze the conversion of cellulose into amphiphilic alkyl glycosides (AAGs) in 85 % yield (with 97 % selectivity). The process involves a mechanocatalytic depolymerization of cellulose followed by a direct glycosylation with n-dodecanol. In comparison to H2 SO4 and solid acid catalysts commonly employed in cellulose processing, Aquivion PFSA PW98 is not only recyclable but also exhibits superior catalytic performances in terms of yield, selectivity, and reactor productivity.

Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Perfluorinated Superacid Polymers: A Family of Bifunctional Catalysts for the Selective, One-Pot Conversion of Vegetable Substrates in Water

We describe the rational design of a new versatile family of bifunctional catalytic materials based on the combination of supported metal nanoparticles (Pd, Rh, Ru) and the superacid, perfluorinated Aquivion® PFSA polymer. The heterogeneous catalysts were tested in the multi‐step valorisation of representative plant derivatives to high‐added‐value chemicals. Particularly, the conversion of (+)‐citronellal to (‐)‐menthol and levulinic acid to γ‐valerolactone was achieved in one pot and in one stage in the water phase and shows full selectivity at a high conversion level under mild reaction conditions. The results are discussed in terms of the catalyst micro‐structure.

Mechanocatalytic Depolymerization of Cellulose With Perfluorinated Sulfonic Acid Ionomers

Here, we investigated that the mechanocatalytic depolymerization of cellulose in the presence of Aquivion, a sulfonated perfluorinated ionomer. Under optimized conditions, yields of water soluble sugars of 90–97% were obtained using Aquivion PW98 and PW66, respectively, as a solid acid catalyst. The detailed characterization of the water soluble fraction revealed (i) the selective formation of oligosaccharides with a DP up to 11 and (ii) that depolymerization and reversion reactions concomitantly occurred during the mechanocatalytic process, although the first largely predominated. More importantly, we discussed on the critical role of water contained in Aquivion and cellulose on the efficiency of the mechanocatalytic process.