Selective hydrogenation of furfural to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol in 2-butanol over an equimolar Ni-Cu-Al catalyst prepared by the co-precipitation method

In order to upgrade biomass-derived platform chemicals to high value-added chemicals and liquid fuels, it is highly advantageous and desirable to synthesize suitable non-precious bimetallic catalysts that are efficient and versatile in chemical reactions. Equal moles of Ni and Cu were dispersed on varying mole ratios of Al by the co-precipitation method to synthesize Ni-Cu alloy particles to obtain a maximum yield of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA) by the liquid phase hydrogenation of furfural. The nickel species were active for both the furan ring (C=C) and carbonyl group (C=O) of furfural molecule, while Cu species were highly active for only the carbonyl group of furfural molecule. Systematic characterization of the prepared catalysts by XRD, TPR, STEM-EDS, and XPS analysis revealed the formation of highly active Ni-Cu alloys and near-equal Ni/Cu surface contents were achieved for the equimolar catalyst, which showcased a maximum of 98 mol% yield of THFA at 140 °C, 30 bar, 4 h. The reaction pressure and temperature showed a substantial effect on the product yield. The solvent selection also influenced the product selectivity, particularly with 2-butanol, which promoted the reaction with its hydrogen donor capacity and supported the ring hydrogenation of FAL to THFA. Moreover, the reduced Ni1Cu1-Al1 catalyst displayed good recyclability for three runs and an equal activity to that of a fresh catalyst after the regeneration.