Catalytic Conversion of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural to 3-Hydroxymethyl-cyclopentanone over Hierarchical ZSM-5 Supporting Ni–Fe Bimetals

This study developed a hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolite-supported bimetallic catalyst (Ni–Fe) for conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 3-hydroxymethylcyclopentanone (HCPN). The rational construction of the hierarchical zeolite, integrating both microporous and mesoporous structures, facilitates enhanced metal dispersion and improves the adsorption/activation for hydrogen, thereby accelerating the hydrogenation rate of HMF. The enhanced acidity of the zeolite support promoted deep hydrogenation of intermediates, reducing the yield of target HCPN. Compared with monometallic Ni, the bimetallic Ni–Fe further enhanced the activation of active hydrogen. Moreover, the Ni–Fe bimetallic alloy strengthened interaction between the furan ring and metal sites, collaboratively promoting the conversion of HMF to HCPN. The prepared 10Ni-2Fe/HZ-S1 catalyst achieved an HCPN yield of 80.3% after a 2 h reaction at 140 °C, with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 10.1 h–1.