Biomass
is the only renewable carbon source capable of replacing
conventional production of chemicals and fuels derived from nonrenewable
resources. The cellulose monomers derived from lignocellulosic biomass
can be transformed into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which can be
further converted into 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) and 2,5-dimethyltetrahydrofuran
(DMTHF). These products can be used as substitutes for standard gasoline
or as additives. This study has shown that by using Ni–Cu catalysts
supported on ZrO2, DMF can be obtained with a yield of
70% after 25 h on stream. Experiments were carried out in a continuous
fixed-bed reactor, and complete HMF conversion was achieved by the
formation of Ni–Cu species. The importance of Ni active sites
in the hydrogenation of DMF to obtain DMTHF was shown, observing how
the progressive Ni oxidation phenomenon during the reaction favors
DMF production to the detriment of DMTHF. Catalyst evolution was corroborated
by different characterization techniques after carrying out several
experiments with different durations.