Heterogeneous Catalytic Transformations of Saccharides by Sn Lewis Acid: Recent Progress

ABSTRACT Carbohydrates have been considered as important renewable substrates which are readily available in large quantities from waste streams. During the last two decades, conversion of carbohydrates catalyzed by Lewis acids has been intensively investigated. This research activity has been mostly focused on the tin atoms embedded into zeolite framework, though it has not been limited to these materials. This review summarizes the recent results on conversion of saccharides addressing isomerization, epimerization, and retro‐aldol cleavage reactions. Reaction networks and reaction mechanisms are considered, the dependencies of the catalytic performance on catalyst structure and reaction conditions are reviewed. Stability of the catalysts on stream is addressed.