Cyclopentanone: A raw material for production of C₁₅ and C₁₇ fuel precursors

The synthesis of diesel or jet fuels intermediates from furfural or 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) via aqueous aldol-condensation with cyclopentanone was studied. Cyclopentanone is the product of furfural rearrangement in an aqueous system. Since the aldol-condensation reaction is conducted in an aqueous solution all these biomass-derived reactants can be applied as water solutions formed in the processes of their preparation. The aldol condensation of furfural with cyclopentanone is at low concentration of base and molar ratio of reactants 2:1 highly selective and after 40–80 min of reaction at a temperature of 40–100 °C more than 95 mol% yield of 2,5-bis (2-furylmethylidene) cyclopentan-1-one (F₂C) was obtained. When instead of furfural as a reactant HMF was used higher than 98 mol% yield of 2,5-bis (5-hydroxymethyl-2-furylmethylidene) cyclopentan-1-one was achieved. The final products of aldol condensation of furfural and HMF are exclusively corresponding dimers, what enables to obtain after subsequent hydrogenation/hydrodeoxygenation step dialkylcyclopentane type of diesel or jet fuels having C₁₅ or C₁₇ molecules. - Highlights: • The aldol condensation of biomass derived cyclopentanone with furfural and HMF. • More than 95 mol % yields of products are achieved. • The products are compounds having exclusively 15 or 17 carbon atoms in molecule. • Reactants can be used as diluted aqueous solutions. • The products are separated as solids insoluble in water