Towards Sustainability Pathway with Bio-Derived Platinum and Palladium Catalyst for Furfural Hydrogenation—A Novel Greener Approach in Catalysis

Abstract

The use of living plants to recover precious metals with potential catalytic activity is still at the infant stage. In this study, selective hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol using novel bio-ore catalysts recovered from the end stage of phytomining process is demonstrated. The phytomining process was carried out in the green house by artificially contaminating cassava (Manihot esculenta) plant with 500 mg/L palladium (Pd) and platinum (Pt) solutions for a period of eight weeks. After harvesting, concentrations of metals as high as 78 ± 0.047 and 1276 ± 0.036 µg/g of Pd and Pt, respectively, were detected in the calcinated root of cassava. The produced bio-ore catalysts; @PdCassCat and @PtCassCat were fully characterized with the following techniques: transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), powder X-ray diffraction (pXRD), N2-sorption, and UV-visible spectroscopy techniques and directly applied as catalysts for hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol. The reaction was conducted under an optimized condition (furfural (10 mmol), triethylamine (Et3N) (10 mmol), formic acid (20 mmol), temperature (160 °C), catalyst amount (40 mg)) realizing a yield of 76.5% and 100% furfuryl alcohol using @PdCassCat and @PtCassCat, respectively. The catalytic activities of the @PdCassCat and @PtCassCat were excellent as well as recyclable up to four and five times, respectively.

Selective Cu and Ni-MOFs as pre-catalysts for the hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol

“…Different types of catalysts (Ni, Co, Fe, Cu, Pt and Pd-based catalysts) have been developed in the past few years for the production of FA. [8][9][10] Commercial production of FA uses high temperature and high pressure of hydrogen gas over Cu-Cr catalyst. 11 However, the severe impact of using Cr-based catalysts on the environment has motivated the extensive research to develop suitable alternative catalysts.…”

Investigating cyanogen rich Manihot esculenta efficacy for Ru phytomining and application in catalytic reactions

“…73 The similarities in the efficiency of the reported carbon-supported catalysts show that catalysts of this nature are a promising green alternative to conventional catalysts. 24,74 …”

Review on Catalytic Hydrogenation of Biomass-Derived Furfural to Furfuryl Alcohol: Recent Advances and Future Trends

“…89 Akinbile et al developed a greener bioderived Pt/Pd catalyst obtained at the end stage of the phytomining for FA hydrogenation. 90 The production of FAL, by completely converting the FA substrate was attained at 0.24 wt % loading of the Pt catalyst in comparison to the multiwalled CNT (carbon nanotubes) supported 0.5 wt % Pt. 91 Using methanoic acid as the hydrogen source, Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes revealed significant conversion and selective formation of FAL by the transfer hydrogenation method.…”

“…The size and the surface defects have a decisive impact on the catalytic performance and the adsorption of FA materializes at the carbonyl group on the periphery of the Pd/TiH 2 catalyst leading to the enhanced selectivity . Akinbile et al developed a greener bioderived Pt/Pd catalyst obtained at the end stage of the phytomining for FA hydrogenation . The production of FAL, by completely converting the FA substrate was attained at 0.24 wt % loading of the Pt catalyst in comparison to the multiwalled CNT (carbon nanotubes) supported 0.5 wt % Pt .…”