Acidic mesostructured silica-carbon nanocomposite catalysts for biofuels and chemicals synthesis from sugars in alcoholic solutions

•One-pot conversion of fructose in ethanol with a series of sulfonated silica-carbon nanocomposites was performed.•Kinetic modeling was performed to calculate the rate constants for each reaction step in the proposed reaction pathway.•Reaction constants were correlated with physicochemical properties to provide insights into the ethanolysis reaction.•Variation of reaction temperature, solvent and substrate has been conducted for a systematic study of the reaction.•The role of H2O in the formation of humins by-products is emphasized.