Trace Iron‐Modified CeO₂‐Supported Core‐Shell CoO@Co Catalyst for Selective Conversion of Furfural to 1,5‐Pentanediol

Abstract

In the conversion of furfural using non‐noble metal catalysts, preferential cleavage of the C2‐O bond followed by hydrogenation of the C=C bond facilitates selective access to valuable 1,5‐pentanediol (1,5‐Ped). Herein, we developed CeO₂ loaded core‐shell CoO@Co nanoparticle catalysts. Adjusting Co loading, Fe doping, and reduction temperature improved reaction efficiency. 7Co‐0.2Fe/CeO₂ catalysts reduced at 500 °C demonstrated optimal performance. 1,5‐Ped produced at 54.76 mmol/g(Co)/h, representing the top activity levels among the reported catalysts. H₂‐TPR, XRD, HAADF‐STEM, FT‐IR, XPS, and XANES were employed to investigate the catalyst structure‐activity relationship. Co²⁺ cleaves furan ring C‐O bond, Co⁰ promotes double‐bond hydrogenation. The CoO@Co structure favors the desired 1,5‐Ped production route. Trace Fe species optimize the Co²⁺/Co⁰ ratio, enhance the substrate adsorption, and inhibit the furan ring saturation. These findings emphasize the importance of fine‐tuning catalyst structure and composition for selectivity improvement.