Microwave-assisted flash conversion of non-edible polysaccharides and post-harvest tomato plant waste to levulinic acid

A microwave-assisted protocol for the conversion of non-edible polysaccharides and tomato plant waste to levulinic acid has been developed. Full conversion has been achieved in all cases at 2 min irradiation and clean levulinic acid was obtained without any purification in high yields (63–95%).