Pentose dehydration and direct transformation of xylan into furfural were performed in a water-cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME) biphasic system under microwave irradiation. Heated up between 170 and 190 °C in the presence of Nafion NR50 and NaCl, d-xylose, l-arabinose and xylan gave furfural with maximum yields of 80%, 42% and 55%, respectively. The influence of temperature and reaction time on the reaction kinetics was discussed. This study was also completed by the survey of different reactant ratios, such as organic layer-water or catalyst-inorganic salt ratios. The exchange between proton and cation induced by an excess of NaCl was monitored, and a synergetic effect between the remaining protons and the released HCl was also discovered.

Department of Chemistry Faculty of Technology 760 01 Zlin Czech Republic

Ecole Supérieure de Chimie Organique et Minérale 1 rue du Réseau Jean Marie Buckmaster 60200 Compiègne France

Université de Technologie de Compiègne CS 60319 60203 Compiègne Cedex France

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