Synthesis and Catalytic Activity of Cu-Co/CeO2 Catalysts in the Hydrogenation of Furfural to Pentanediols

This study presents a comprehensive characterization of monometallic (Co or Cu) and bimetallic (Co-Cu) catalysts supported on cerium oxide (CeO2). XRD and TEM analyses revealed that crystallinity decreases after reduction and that metal dispersion is highly dependent on composition, with cobalt exhibiting greater dispersion than copper. The results confirmed a strong interaction between the metals and CeO2, which alters the ceria structure and facilitates the reduction of the metal oxides. H2-TPR and XPS data indicated that monometallic and the bimetallic 15Cu15Co catalysts achieved nearly complete reduction, whereas other bimetallic catalysts did not. Furthermore, CO chemisorption and H2-TPD demonstrated that the hydrogen activation capacity correlates with the degree of catalyst reduction. Notably, bimetallic catalysts did not show enhanced hydrogen activation compared to their monometallic counterparts. This suggests that the dispersion and metal–support interaction are more critical factors for catalytic activity in this system than the formation of metal alloys. Although the furfural conversion was complete, the selectivity depended greatly on the catalyst composition. The 30Co_R catalyst was most selective for 1,5-pentanediol (38.4%), the 30Cu_R catalyst for 1,2-pentanediol (22.1%), and the bimetallic catalysts for THFA. Reutilising the 30Co_R catalyst after five catalytic cycles resulted in a gradual reduction in the selectivity of 1,5-pentanediol.