Hydrodeoxygenation of the Angelica Lactone Dimer, a Cellulose‐Based Feedstock: Simple, High‐Yield Synthesis of Branched C₇–C₁₀ Gasoline‐like Hydrocarbons

Dehydration of biomass‐derived levulinic acid under solid acid catalysis and treatment of the resulting angelica lactone with catalytic K 2 CO 3 produces the angelica lactone dimer in excellent yield. This dimer serves as a novel feedstock for hydrodeoxygenation, which proceeds under relatively mild conditions with a combination of oxophilic metal and noble metal catalysts to yield branched C 7 –C 10 hydrocarbons in the gasoline volatility range. Considering that levulinic acid is available in >80 % conversion from raw biomass, a field‐to‐tank yield of drop‐in, cellulosic gasoline of >60 % is possible.