Selective Hydrogenolysis and Hydrogenation of Furfuryl Alcohol in the Aqueous Phase Using Ru–Mn-Based Catalysts

Most biomass derivatives were converted in the aqueous phase due to their high oxygen content, which, however, created a harsh environment for the catalytic reaction. In this work, Ru-based catalysts for the hydrogenation/hydrogenolysis of furan compounds in the aqueous phase were prepared. Among all the screened catalysts, the Ru–Mn/CNTs (multiwalled carbon nanotubes) catalyst was found to be the best one for the conversion. Also, various factors, including reaction temperature, H2 pressure, solvent, and catalyst promotor, were studied to tune the catalytic performance of hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis reactions, whereas as high as 80% tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA) selectivity and 20% 1,2-pentanediol (1,2-PeD) selectivity were obtained over Ru–Mn/CNTs catalysts under different reaction conditions, respectively. Moreover, detailed characterizations were carried out over the relevant catalysts for correlating the catalytic and physicochemical properties.