Renewable Catalytic Process for the Production of p-Xylene

We reveal that good selectivity (~75%) to p-xylene can be achieved with H−Y zeolite from biomass-derived dimethylfuran and ethylene, with the most favorable catalysts containing Brønsted acid sites in microporous materials. This catalytic system introduces a new chemical pathway to convert biomass-derived furans to high-value aromatic feedstocks.