Conversion of Succinic Acid to 1,4-Butanediol via Dimethyl Succinate Over Rhenium Nano-Catalyst Supported on Copper-Containing Mesoporous Carbon

Abstract

Copper-containing mesoporous carbons (XCu-MC) with different copper content (X = 8.0, 12.7, 15.9, 23.3, and 26.8 wt%) were prepared by a single-step surfactant-templating method. Rhenium nano-catalysts supported on copper-containing mesoporous carbons (Re/XCu-MC) were then prepared by an incipient wetness method. Re/XCu-MC (X = 8.0, 12.7, 15.9, 23.3, and 26.8 wt%) catalysts were characterized by nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm, HR-TEM, FT-IR, and H2- TPR analyses. Liquid-phase hydrogenation of succinic acid to 1,4-butanediol (BDO) via dimethyl succinate (DMS) was carried out over Re/XCu-MC catalysts in a batch reactor. The effect of copper content on the physicochemical properties and catalytic activities of Re/XCu-MC catalysts in the hydrogenation of succinic acid to BDO was investigated. Re/XCu-MC catalysts retained different physicochemical properties depending on copper content. In the hydrogenation of succinic acid to BDO, yield for BDO showed a volcano-shaped trend with respect to copper content. Thus, an optimal copper content was required to achieve maximum catalytic performance of Re/XCu-MC. It was also observed that yield for BDO increased with increasing the amount of hydrogen consumption by copper in the Re/XCu-MC catalysts.

Production of C4 and C5 alcohols from biomass-derived materials

“…Song et al developed a liquid-phase process for hydrogenolysis of succinic acid into 1,4-butanediol using Cu-based catalysts, in which methanol is used as the solvent, reacting first with succinic acid to produce dimethyl succinate that is subsequently hydrogenated slowly into 1,4-butanediol over Cu catalysts. [25][26][27] They focused on mesoporous carbonsupported Cu and Re-Cu bimetallic catalysts prepared by different methods. Thus, one of the catalysts, Re/15.9% Cu-C (Table 3), was prepared through two steps: the first one was the preparation of the Cu-C catalyst by a surfactant-templating method, and the second step was the addition of Re into Cu-C through an impregnation method.…”

“…Thus, one of the catalysts, Re/15.9% Cu-C (Table 3), was prepared through two steps: the first one was the preparation of the Cu-C catalyst by a surfactant-templating method, and the second step was the addition of Re into Cu-C through an impregnation method. 26 Other catalyst, Re-20% Cu/C (Table 3), was prepared by a single-step surfactant-templating method. The latter gives a relatively higher 1,4-butanediol selectivity of 22.5% than the former at 200 °C under 8 MPa H 2 pressure.…”