| Summary: | The production of lactic acid and value-added chemicals (such as hydroxypropanone, glycolic acid, and formic acid) directly from <i>Ulva prolifera</i> via one-step catalytic process was studied. The effect of different amounts of YCl<sub>3</sub>-derived catalysts on the hydrothermal conversion of carbohydrates in <i>Ulva prolifera</i> was explored, and the reaction conditions were optimized. In this catalytic system, rhamnose could be extracted from <i>Ulva prolifera</i> and converted in situ into lactic acid and hydroxypropanone at 160 °C, while all the glucose, xylose, and rhamnose were fractionated and completely converted to lactic acid at 220 °C or at a higher temperature, via several consecutive and/or parallel catalytic processes. The highest yield of lactic acid obtained was 31.4 wt% under the optimized conditions. The hydrothermal conversion of <i>Ulva prolifera</i> occurred rapidly (within 10 min) and showed promise to valorize <i>Ulva prolifera</i>.
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