TiO(2) Catalyzed Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) Conversion in Water: Evidence That This Model Reaction Probes Basicity in Addition to Acidity

In this paper, evidence is provided that the model reaction of aqueous dihydroxyacetone (DHA) conversion is as sensitive to the TiO(2) catalysts’ basicity as to their acidity. Two parallel pathways transformed DHA: while the pathway catalyzed by Lewis acid sites gave pyruvaldehyde (PA) and lactic acid (LA), the base-catalyzed route afforded fructose. This is demonstrated on a series of six commercial TiO(2) samples and further confirmed by using two reference catalysts: niobic acid (NbOH), an acid catalyst, and a hydrotalcite (MgAlO), a basic catalyst. The original acid-base properties of the six commercial TiO(2) with variable structure and texture were investigated first by conventional methods in gas phase (FTIR or microcalorimetry of pyridine, NH(3) and CO(2) adsorption). A linear relationship between the initial rates of DHA condensation into hexoses and the total basic sites densities is highlighted accounting for the water tolerance of the TiO(2) basic sites whatever their strength. Rutile TiO(2) samples were the most basic ones. Besides, only the strongest TiO(2) Lewis acid sites were shown to be water tolerant and efficient for PA and LA formation.