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Zeolites in powder form have the potential to agglomerate, lowering access to active sites. Furthermore, a suspension of fine zeolite powder in liquid media is difficult to separate. Such drawbacks could be improved by dispersing zeolite crystals on support materials. This work demonstrates the dispersion of zeolite NaY crystals on bamboo wood by mixing the wood with zeolite gel before hydrothermal treatment. The syntheses were performed with acid-refluxed and non–refluxed wood. The phase of zeolites, particle distribution and morphology, zeolite content in the wood, and zeolite–wood interaction were investigated using X-ray diffraction, X-ray tomography, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, nitrogen sorption analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Higher zeolite content and better particle dispersion were obtained in the synthesis with the acid–refluxed wood. The composite of NaY on the acid-refluxed wood was demonstrated to be an effective adsorbent for Ni(II) ions in aqueous solutions, providing a higher adsorbed amount of Ni(II) per weight of NaY. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical fluoride-containing zeolite HY (Hie-HY(F)) is an interesting material because it tunes both a high mesoporosity and a moderate acid property, which could benefit the transformation of xylose to xylitol. Herein, we synthesized a new Hie-HY(F) by etching NH 4 Y with ammonium fluoride (NH 4 F) under ultrasonication at 60 °C for 20, 40, and 60 min. After etching with NH 4 F solution, the Hie-HY(F)s contained fluoride in the zeolite frameworks with high mesoporosity and moderate acid properties. The sonication time longer than 20 min caused the structure to collapse rather than the creation of mesoporosity. The Hie-HY(F)s were further used as supports for the Ru catalyst. When loaded with Ru precursor and calcined in air, RuO 2 phase was formed in all catalysts. The RuO 2 supported on Hie-HY(F)s had a lower reduction temperature than that on HY. Ru supported on Hie-HY(F)-20 gave the reactivity of xylose conversion to xylitol, the highest yield of 80.1 %, providing the reusability up to four cycles. [Display omitted] • Synthesis of hierarchical fluoride-containing zeolite Y (Hie-HY(F)s) was disclosed. • Hie-HY(F)s was done by etching in NH 4 F solution under sonication at various times. • Dealumination and fluorination played a crucial role in mesoporosity and acidity. • Hie-HY(F)s was used as a novel support for Ru in xylose conversion to xylitol. • Ru/Hie-HY(F)-20 gave the highest xylitol productivity, 80.1 % yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Charcoal is produced from Lead tree wood in Iwasaki kiln (IW) and tube furnace (TF). • Activated carbon (AC) from both charcoals are used as supports for nickel phosphides. • AC_IW has higher C/O ratio than AC_TF. • Nickel phosphides disperse on external surface and macropores of AC_IW. • NiP/AC_IW gave green diesel yield more than three times higher than NiP/AC_TF. Carbon-oxygen ratios (C/O) in activated carbon (AC) derived from wood are usually dependent upon carbonization conditions. Such a ratio directly correlates with the hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity of AC. In this work, we use two different types of AC, which are prepared by carbonization of Lead tree wood charcoal in a tube furnace (AC_TF) and Iwasaki kiln (AC_IW), as a support for nickel phosphide (NiP) for catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of palm oil to produce green diesel. Basically, AC_IW has a higher C/O ratio than that of AC_TF. This makes the surface of AC_IW more hydrophobic. Both AC_IW and AC_TF have a great influence on the dispersion and the acid property of Ni 2 P. The Ni 2 P nanoparticles disperse mainly outside the micropores of AC_IW, whereas those on AC_TF mainly appear inside the micropores. Interestingly, NiP/AC_IW outperforms NiP/AC_TF in HDO, with an impressive green diesel yield of 98.3 %, more than three times higher than that from NiP/AC_TF. The superior HDO performance of NiP/AC_IW could be attributed to the eased accessibility of reactants to the active sites. This obtained catalyst could have high potential application in an industrial scale due to the facile preparation method, low-cost materials, large-scale production, super catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeolite NaY synthesized from a typical procedure could suffer from agglomeration. Adding non-refluxed cogon grass (NG) to the synthesis gel could produce NaY with good dispersion and uniform crystal size. Small molecules produced from cogon grass in alkaline conditions could prevent agglomeration. The obtained zeolite (Y-NG) has a crystallinity and surface area comparable to the synthesis without grass (Y-WG). Y-NG demonstrated similar paraquat adsorption capacity to Y-WG at high initial concentrations. On the other hand, the zeolite from the addition of acid-refluxed grass (Y-RG) has the lowest crystallinity, smallest surface area, and poorest paraquat adsorption capacity. The effect of grass amount on the zeolite structure was studied. One gram of cogon grass was the optimum amount to add to the synthesis gel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural (5‐HMF) synthesized through glucose conversion requires Lewis acid (L) site for isomerization and Brønsted acid (B) site for dehydration. The objective of this work is to investigate the influence of the metal type of Al‐SBA‐15‐supported phosphates of Cr, Zr, Nb, Sr, and Sn on glucose conversion to 5‐HMF in a NaCl‐H2O/n‐butanol biphasic solvent system. The structural and acid property of all supported metal phosphate samples were fully verified by several spectroscopic methods. Among those catalysts, CrPO/Al‐SBA‐15 provided the best performance with the highest glucose conversion and 5‐HMF yield, corresponding to the highest total acidity of 0.65 mmol/g and optimal L/B ratio of 1.88. For CrPO/Al‐SBA‐15, another critical parameter is the phosphate‐to‐chromium ratio. Moreover, DFT simulation of glucose conversion to 5‐HMF on the surface of the optimized chromium phosphate structure reveals three steps of fructose dehydration on the Brønsted acid site. Finally, the optimum reaction condition, reusability, and leaching test of the best catalyst were determined. CrPO/Al‐SBA‐15 is a promising catalyst for glucose conversion to high‐value‐added chemicals in future biorefinery production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NaY was synthesized from fumed silica and further modified to form a composite with SBA-15. Textural properties and basicity of the composite NaY-SBA-15 were between those of the parent materials. Paraquat adsorption on NaY was 204.1 mg/g, higher than that on NaY synthesized with rice husk silica from the previous work. SBA-15 was a poor adsorbent for paraquat. Based on the weight of NaY, the adsorption capacity of analytical-grade paraquat on the NaY-SBA-15 composite was 241.5 mg/g-NaY. Moreover, the composite adsorbed blue dye from a commercial grade paraquat. Interaction between the NaY-SBA-15 and paraquat could be from C and N atoms in paraquat with oxygen atom on NaY-SBA-15. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An alternative reduction route of Pd-promoted Co 3 O 4 supported on SBA-15 under ethanol dehydrogenation and decomposition (ED) was studied by an operando time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy (TR-XAS) to understand the insight nature of materials. The catalysts, xPd-10Co/SBA-15, were prepared by co-impregnation method where the Pd content, x = 0.2, 0.5 or 1.0 wt% and Co content = 10.0 wt%. The precursors were transformed to PdO and Co 3 O 4 after calcination and to metallic form after reduction. The reducibility of Co 3 O 4 to metallic Co in 1Pd-10Co/SBA-15 was 98.0%, whereas the metallic form was not produced in the absence of Pd. This catalyst also provided the highest H 2 yield of 80% from ED at 500 °C. The ED-reduced 1Pd-10Co/SBA-15 was tested in reverse water gas shift reaction (RWGS) and characterized by the operando TR-XAS. The CO selectivity from CO 2 was 97.8%, slightly higher than conventional H 2 -reduced 1Pd-10Co/SBA-15. [Display omitted] • Reduction of Co 3 O 4 in ethanol dehydrogenation and decomposition (ED) was disclosed. • Effect of Pd loading on the reducibility of Co 3 O 4 to metallic Co in ED was studied. • Pd with 1.0 wt% provided the highest reducibility of Co 3 O 4 and H 2 yield under ED. • Pd-Co/SBA-15 reduced under ED was active in reverse water gas shift (RWGS). • Pd-Co/SBA-15 reduced under ED provided 97.8% CO selectivity from RWGS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Synthesis of grafted and co-condensated ordered mesoporous materials. • Quantification of the amount of active base sites by liquid phase NMR. • Variation of the properties of the basic centre by changing the substitution on the nitrogen atom. • Determination of the turn-over number in the aldol condensation of butyraldehyde. • Proposed reaction mechanism for heterogeneously catalysed aldol condensation. Representative ordered mesoporous silica materials MCM-41 and SBA-15 were synthesized and modified with nitrogen-containing groups by grafting and co-condensation. The created catalytic centers strongly differ in basicity depending on the degree of substitution of the nitrogen atom. Furthermore, the introduced amount also depends on the structure of the modifier as shown by quantitative liquid phase 1H NMR. This allowed to calculate the turnover number in the aldol condensation of n -butanal which changed in the sequence: secondary > primary >> tertiary >> pyridinic basic centers. Corresponding reaction mechanisms considering the special structural features of the modifier are proposed. ig. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Unsupported Ni, Co, and Cu phosphides catalysts were prepared by precipitation method. • Ni 2 P + Ni 12 P 5 (Ni x P y), Co 2 P, and Cu 3 P phases were obtained after reduction in H 2. • Green diesel (GD) yield was in the order of Ni x P y > Co 2 P > Cu 3 P. • The major products were straight-chain alkanes with C 15 -C 18 from all catalysts. • The Ni x P y gave better the hydrodeoxygenation products than the commercial Ni 2 P. This work aims to investigate the catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of palm oil to produce green diesel (GD) on phosphides of nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and copper (Cu) without support materials. The metal phosphides were obtained by co-precipitation of metal precursors and phosphoric acid followed by calcination and reduction with hydrogen. The as-synthesized, calcined and reduced samples were characterized by various modes of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) including time-resolved X-ray absorption (TR-XAS), X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The phosphide phases of Ni, Co and Cu after reduction were mixed-phase Ni 2 P and Ni 12 P 5 (denoted as Ni x P y), Co 2 P and Cu 3 P, respectively. Their catalytic performance was determined in a continuous fixed-bed flow reactor under H 2 atmosphere at 300, 350 and 400 °C for 6 h. The best catalyst was Ni x P y providing the highest GD yields. The main catalytic route was decarbonylation (DCO) yielding C 15 + C 17. The minor routes were decarboxylation (DCO 2) and HDO. Moreover, Ni x P y provided better yields of all products than the commercial single-phase Ni 2 P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An influence of support morphology and Pd promoter on physicochemical properties and catalytic performance of Co/SBA-15 in Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) was investigated. SBA-15(M) from a hydrothermal synthesis with decane addition had smaller particle size, larger pore size and shorter cavity length which enhanced the dispersion of cobalt oxides, eased diffusion of reactants and improved the FTS performance. 10Co/SBA-15(M) provided the highest and most steady conversions of CO and H 2 with the highest yield of C 5 –C 9 products. The addition of Pd enhanced the reduction of cobalt oxides but produced more methane and light paraffins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterogeneous base catalysts were developed from zeolite-geopolymer hybrid material (Zeo-Geo) as a new support for potassium in transesterification of soybean oil. Zeo-Geo was prepared by mixing Al metal, metakaolin, and fumed silica in NaOH solution and curing at 60 °C, 24 h and 110 °C, 12 h. The Zeo-Geo contained a mixed phase of geopolymer and X-type zeolite. The xK/Zeo-Geo with x = 5, 10 or 15 wt% potassium were prepared by impregnation of Zeo-Geo with potassium acetate followed by calcination at 400 °C for 3 h. The phases of potassium were mainly K 2 O and K 2 CO 3 and the basicity increased with potassium loading. The 15K/Zeo-Geo was the most active catalyst in transesterification of soybean oil with methanol, at 70 °C providing 97.64% biodiesel yield under the optimum condition: reaction time = 3 h, methanol to oil molar ratio = 16:1 and catalyst amount = 2 wt%. The catalyst was reused in 5 cycles without a significant activity loss and leaching of active species. From this study, 15K/Zeo-Geo has a potential for further development in large-scale production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The objectives of this work were to compare physicochemical properties of silica-supported cobalt catalysts (with 10wt% Co) prepared by impregnation (10Co-IP) and precipitation using a reverse micelle technique (10Co-RM) and to investigate influence of palladium as a promoter (0.2wt% and 1.0wt%) on properties of 10Co-IP and 10Co-RM. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, H2-TPR, DR-UV–vis, XANES, EXAFS and the reactivity during Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) was tested at 230°C, 5 bar with H2/CO=2. The particle size of Co3O4 in 10Co-IP was larger than that of 10Co-RM which could contribute to lower selectivity to methane and C2–C4 paraffin products. The addition of 0.2wt% Pd to 10Co-IP and 10Co-RM enhanced the cobalt reducibility, FTS activity and paraffin selectivity. On the other hand, the addition of 1.0wt% Pd resulted in increased methane formation and lower CO conversion. The most suitable catalyst from this work was 0.2Pd-10Co-IP that gave high CO conversion (34.8%) and high mole fraction of paraffins (0.38) in the gasoline range (C5–C9). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

SBA-15 is a stable mesoporous silica with a uniform pore structure but without active catalytic sites. The incorporation of aluminium (Al) into its structure could generate acid sites for catalysis. Here, we report a comparative study of Al-incorporated SBA-15 (Al-SBA-15) by one-pot hydrothermal method from sodium aluminate (SA), aluminium sulfate (AS), and aluminium isopropoxide (AI). All Al-SBA-15 samples have mesoporous characteristics with incorporated Al in the structure, generating acid sites. Despite the similar Si/Al ratios, their total acidities are different, ranging as follows: Al-SBA-15 (SA) < Al-SBA-15 (AS) < Al-SBA-15 (AI). In contrast, the ratio of Al in tetrahedral coordination within the SBA-15 framework (Al tet) increases in the opposite trend: Al-SBA-15 (SA) > Al-SBA-15 (AS) > Al-SBA-15 (AI). From catalytic testing, all samples provide better xylose conversions and furfural yields than the pristine SBA-15. The xylose conversions increase with the total acidity, however, the furfural yield depends on the relative ratios of Lewis to Brønsted acid sites. Moreover, lactic acid by-product increases with Al in octahedral coordination (Al oct). The best catalyst is Al-SBA-15 (SA), giving high furfural yield and the fewest by-products. Further investigations on Al-SBA-15 (SA) confirm that the optimum conditions are at 170 °C; for 5 h; and the catalyst loading of 0.10 g. [Display omitted] • Three Al sources are employed: NaAlO 2 (SA), Al 2 (SO 4) 3 (AS), and Al(O- i -Pr) 3 (AI). • Total acidity from NH 3 -TPD: Al-SBA-15 (SA) < Al-SBA-15 (AS) < Al-SBA-15 (AI). • Ratio of tetrahedral Al (Al tet): Al-SBA-15 (SA) > Al-SBA-15 (AS) > Al-SBA-15 (AI). • Xylose conversion increases with total acidity; furfural selectivity depends on Al tet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• NaP is obtained from crystallization of NaY gel by microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. • The optimum crystallization condition producing pure phase NaP is 150 °C for 1 h. • The pure phase NaP has cactus-like polycrystal morphology with Si/Al ratio = 3.85. • This method is template-free with shorter crystallization time than other works. Zeolite P in sodium form (NaP) is useful in the separation of small gases. However, the synthesis of NaP is slow due to a long crystallization time. Here, we report the fast synthesis of NaP by crystallization of the gel of NaY under microwave irradiation without any template. The influence of crystallization time and temperature on the zeolite morphology, the character of water desorption and functional vibration are confirmed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The suitable condition producing pure NaP crystalline is at 150 °C for 1 h. This is the shortest crystallization time to produce pure phase NaP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palm oil is largely produced in Thailand and sufficient to utilize as a biofuel feedstock through hydrodeoxygenation (HDO). In this work a new bifunctional catalyst consisting of nickel phosphide supported on zeolite mordenite in sodium form (Ni-P/NaMOR) was prepared by sequential impregnation and characterized extensively by several techniques to understand the reduction behavior, phases and distribution of nickel phosphides on the support. Nickel and phosphate precursors were transformed to Ni 2 P 2 O 7 species by calcination and to a mixed phase between Ni 12 P 5 and Ni 2 P by reduction. The phosphide species distributed in the zeolite cavities and external surface. The HDO of palm oil was tested in a down-flow stainless steel trickle bed reactor and the atmosphere was hydrogen. The mixed phase of nickel phosphides enhanced the HDO reaction. When tested by various temperatures and pressures, the optimum condition in this work was at 425 °C and 50 bar in which a complete of palm oil conversion, the largest HDO yield and selectivity toward C 15 -C 18 alkanes were obtained. The green diesel and HDO yields from reduced Ni-P/NaMOR were larger than those from pure Ni 2 P and mixed Ni 2 P-Ni 12 P 5. Interestingly, a small amount of isoparaffins was also observed likely due to the contribution of NaMOR support. Unlabelled Image • Nickel phosphide on NaMOR was tested in hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of palm oil. • The catalyst contained a mixed phase between Ni 12 P 5 and Ni 2 P with bifunctionality. • The mixed phosphide phase gave high yield and selectivity toward C 15 -C 18 alkanes. • The NaMOR support contributed a formation of isoparaffins. • The optimum condition to yield the largest HDO was at 425 °C and 50 bar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of paraquat adsorption is compared between zeolite NaX and NaY which have the same faujasite structure but different Si/Al ratio, namely 1.2 and 2.2, respectively. The adsorption was proposed to occur via ion exchange and expected to increase with Al content. However, NaX had a lower paraquat adsorption capacity than NaY. The bare and paraquat-containing zeolites (PQX and PQY) were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption–desorption analysis, magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS) NMR, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The presence of adsorbed paraquat was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Paraquat adsorbed in supercages of the zeolites resulting in a decrease of surface area and displacement of sodium cations. Results from 23Na MAS NMR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that interaction of sodium ions in the cavity of NaX was stronger than that in NaY, making it less exchangeable with paraquat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adsorption is one of the methods used to reduce free fatty acid in feedstock oils with high acid content that are used for the production of biodiesel. This work investigated MCM-41 synthesized from rice husk silica for the adsorption of oleic acid in isooctane. The adsorption conformed to the Langmuir isotherm model and equilibrium adsorption capacities at 25.0°C were 277.8 mg/g for as- synthesized MCM-41 and 270.3 mg/g for template- removed MCM-41. The determined free energy and enthalpy of adsorption showed that the adsorption was spontaneous and exothermic. Adsorption of oleic acid in soy bean oil was also demonstrated. Results showed that as-synthesized MCM-41 was a better adsorbent than template-removed MCM-41 for oleic acid removal from soybean oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane is widely grown in the Northeastern region of Thailand. The sugarcane leaves are usually eliminated before harvesting by burning, producing PM 2.5 as air pollutant. Here, we explore an approach to produce high-purity silica from the sugarcane leaves by leaching with hydrochloric acid (2.0 M) and subsequent calcination at 500°C for 4 h. The obtained silica is in an amorphous phase. The silica purity is 83.4 ± 0.9 wt.%, better than the product without acid leaching (18.5 ± 0.2 wt.%). Then, the silica was used in the synthesis of zeolite by hydrothermal method. The obtained zeolite has LTA as a major phase, zeolite NaX and SOD as minor phases. The zeolite has a high ethyleneadsorbed volume of 5.26 cm3/g, comparable to the reported value in the literature. Consequently, the zeolite synthesized from the sugarcane leaves silica is a promising adsorbent to preserve fresh fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeolite NaX was synthesized by using rice husk silica and used as a catalyst support. It was impregnated with potassium acetate buffer solution to produce xK/NaX where x was potassium loading of 4, 8, 12 and 16 wt.%. After calcination the zeolite characteristic in all catalysts were still observed. The surface area and micropore volume decreased with potassium loading indicating that the cavities were occupied. The potassium precursor was mainly converted to carbonate which had strong basicity. As the basicity increased with the potassium loading, the bettter catalytic performance in transesterification of Jatropha seed oil to biodiesel was observed. The best catalyst was 16K/NaX which gave 95.2 ± 0.96% biodiesel yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this work was to characterize active species in potassium catalysts supported on zeolite NaY prepared by ultrasound-assisted impregnation with acetate buffer (K/NaY-U). A catalyst from conventional impregnation (K/NaY) was also prepared for comparison. The potassium precursor from acetate buffer solution decomposed at 370–480 °C and converted to potassium carbonate as realized by several techniques. Both K/NaY-U and K/NaY contained moderate and strong basic sites. The K/NaY-U had a better dispersion of potassium species. Compared to K/NaY in a catalytic transesterification of palm oil, the reaction over K/NaY-U was faster and the biodiesel yield 72% was obtained in 2 h. The longer reaction time increased the yield slightly but not preferred in terms of energy consumption. The amount of potassium before and after catalytic testing was similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ethanol steam reforming (ESR) reaction is a H 2 -production process that the fuel reacts with water in the presence of catalysts. The catalyst structures and active phase compositions have a role in ethanol conversion and hydrogen-production selectivity. The Fe 3 O 4 catalysts with Ni and Cr dopants were prepared and used for the ESR. The morphology and structural property of prepared catalysts were determined by FESEM-EDS, XRD, and XAS techniques. The spinel structures were observed in Fe 3 O 4 , Ni/Cr@Fe 3 O 4, and NiFe 2 O 4 while the CrFe 2 O 4 exhibited a mixture between Fe 2 O 3 and Cr 2 O 3 phases. The combined X-ray absorption spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography was applied to investigate the performance of prepared catalysts during temperature-programmed reduction and ESR processes. The NiFe 2 O 4 exhibited the highest catalytic activity and stability for hydrogen production. The Ni-incorporation in spinel ferrite structure enhanced reduction efficiency of iron compounds at low temperatures and improves its catalytic activity and stability to the ESR process. Furthermore, the NiFe 2 O 4 catalyst also exhibited the ability to regenerate during ESR process as evidenced by X-ray absorption spectrum. • Improving of reduction behaviour of spinel Fe 3 O 4 by Ni addition was investigated by in situ XAS. • Operando XAS-GC-MS method was applied to investigate the performance of catalyst during ESR process. • The spinel NiFe 2 O 4 exhibited high stable, selective to H 2 -production and able to regenerate during ESR process. • The structural stability of Fe-species on the spinel catalysts played an important role to the ESR selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fructose is a crucial intermediate in the production of several chemical platforms. Fructose is mainly produced from glucose isomerization either through immobilized enzymes or heterogeneous catalysts using a conventional heating source, and this is time-consuming. Thus, this work discloses a fast production of fructose via microwave-assisted catalytic glucose isomerization using Mg catalysts supported on NaX zeolite from cogon grass silica. The catalysts were prepared by the impregnation of magnesium nitrate solution and subsequently transformed into MgO on NaX by calcination. The effect of 3, 6 and 9 wt.% Mg content on NaX on the performance of glucose isomerized to fructose was tested at 90 °C for 15 min. The best catalyst was selected for studying the effect of reaction times of 5, 15, 30 and 60 min. Results from X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 sorption and CO2 temperature-programmed desorption (CO2-TPD) suggested that crystallinity, surface area and micropore volume decrease but basicity increases with Mg content. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) result confirmed the presence of mixed phases of MgO and Mg2CO3 in all catalysts. The glucose conversion enhanced with the Mg loading but the fructose yield gave the highest value with Mg of 6 wt.%, probably due to the tuning of high active sites and surface area. The greatest fructose selectivity and yield (71.9% and 25.8%) were obtained within 15 min by microwave-assisted catalytic reaction, shorter than the reported value in the literature, indicating a suitable reaction time. Mg (6 wt.%)/NaX catalyst preserves the original catalytic performance up to three cycles, indicating that it is a promising catalyst for fructose production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]