Production of lactic acid from cellulose catalyzed by easily prepared solid Al2(WO4)3

Solid Al 2 (WO 4 ) 3 was prepared by coprecipitation and employed to catalyze the conversion of cellulose into lactic acid. Under optimum condition of 220 °C and 3 h, 46% of lactic acid could be produced from cellulose with the aid of Al 2 (WO 4 ) 3 . The catalytic activity of the catalyst is ascribed to the synergistic effect of the W O species and the adjacent Al OH species in Al 2 (WO 4 ) 3 . The formation of hydrogen bond and coordination bond between the W O species and the hydroxyl group in the carbohydrates plays critical role in the catalytic conversion of cellulose into lactic acid. The catalyst has good hydrothermal stability and can be easily to be recycled.