Multiphase catalysis for the valorization of biobased compounds

The conversion and valorization of biomass derived platform molecules are among of the most relevant and challenging activities of modern research in organic chemistry. However, the development of researches and technologies for the upgrading of bio-based compounds is a complex issue. In the past two decades, of the many analyses reported to identify the most promising products or families of compounds that can be achieved from biomass, the extensive work commissioned by the US Department of Energy in 2004 to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and its revision in 2010 continue representing cornerstones in this field. Among the so-called “top ten” bio-based compounds selected in these studies, levulinic acid and glycerol cover a preeminent role. The reactivity of both these substrates has been investigated in this PhD thesis.