Kinetics upon Isomerization of α,β-Pinene Oxides over Supported Ionic Liquid Catalysts Containing Lewis Acids

Wood extractives such as α-pinene oxide and β-pinene oxide are important renewable chemicals for the synthesis of fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and value-added intermediates. In this work, catalytic transformations of biomass derived extractives, isomerization of α,β-pinene oxides were studied over supported ionic liquid catalysts (SILCAs). SILCAs consist of catalytic species (e.g., metal nanoparticles or metal complexes) in a thin layer of ionic liquid which is immobilized on a solid support material (e.g., active carbon cloth). The reaction kinetics of the isomerization reactions over supported ionic liquid catalysts were studied and modeled. Mechanistic kinetic models describing the differences in selectivity and activity of the catalysts containing different ionic liquids were developed, and the models described the reaction rates and product distributions very well.