Hydrogenation and Hydrolysis of Furfural to Furfuryl Alcohol, Cyclopentanone, and Cyclopentanol with a Heterogeneous Copper Catalyst in Water

Abstract

The selectivity of hydrogenation of furfural can be tuned to furfuryl alcohol, cyclopentanone, and cyclopentanol by tuning the reaction conditions with a Cu catalyst. Catalyzed by Cu 0.4 Mg 5.6 Al 2 , furfural can be hydrogenated and dehydrated smoothly to furfuryl alcohol, cyclopentanone, and cyclopentanol in high yields, respectively. At 110 °C and under 2.0 MPa H 2 pressure, furfuryl alcohol can be obtained in 99.5% yield. Moreover, the Cu 0.4 Mg 5.6 Al 2 catalyzed hydrogenation of furfural in water gave cyclopentanol in 98.6% yield. Additionally, cyclopentanone can also be obtained in 98.1% yield. The catalyst Cu 0.4 Mg 5.6 Al 2 can be reused several times with only slightly deactivation. Additionally, the hydrogenation of furfural gave well to excellent yield of cyclopentanol in high concentration (15−30 wt % solution of furfural in water), which improved the practicability and efficiency of the process. The hydrogenation of furfural is high efficient, practical and green process of biomass application.

Capping Agent Effect on Pd-Supported Nanoparticles in the Hydrogenation of Furfural

“…Depending on the process conditions [11], the nature of the catalyst [12], and the type of the solvent [13], furfural hydrogenation proceeds through various pathways and with the formation of a significant number of products. A variety of heterogeneous catalysts mainly based on Pd [14,15], Pt [16], Ni [17], Cu [18], and Ru [19]. supported on carbon [20], titanium oxide [21], alumina [22], silica.…”

Hydrogenolysis of Furfuryl Alcohol to 1,2‐Pentanediol Over Supported Ruthenium Catalysts

“…The Ru/Al 2 O 3 catalyst was active for the conversion of furfuryl alcohol to cyclopentanol and cyclopentanone with high selectivity. The conversion of furfural to cyclopentanol and cyclopentanone was reported using cupper‐based catalysts [26] or noble metals such as Pt, Pd, and Ru on carbon. [27] We found the selectivity can be changed drastically by catalyst supports.…”

Effect of Pt Particle Size and Phosphorous Addition on Furfural Hydrogenation Over Pt/Al2O3

“…ether by-product formation-using a highly selective catalyst [1,4]. In this regard, a variety of heterogeneous catalysts have been employed for selective furfural hydrogenation including supported Pt [11], Pd [12], Ru [13], Cu [14], and Ni [15]. In particular, Pt supported on SiO 2 , TiO 2 , and Al 2 O 3 has gained interest as Pt promotes the selective hydrogenation of the C=O bond yielding FA [12,16].…”