Investigation of the Reaction Kinetics of Isolated Lewis Acid Sites in Beta Zeolites for the Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley Reduction of Methyl Levulinate to γ-Valerolactone

We provide the first quantification of kinetic parameters for the Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley reduction of liquid-phase substrates on zeolite Lewis-acid catalysts. Kinetic studies support a dual-binding mechanism on a single site. Activation energies and rates are measured for Ti-, Sn-, Zr-, and Hf-Beta. Rates are affected by hydrogen donor connectivity and polarity.