The group of Fuwei LI succeeded to substitute the noble element catalysts mostly used for this reaction by a nano-cobalt coated acidic HZSM-5 zeolite. Selectivity was 90 %, and the catalyst could be run stably over days.
CAS news release, Dec. 12, 2014
Team at CAS Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics develops levulinic acid to valerate, a drop-in fuel, with zeolite-based catalyst