Polyphenylene as an Active Support for Ru-Catalyzed Hydrogenolysis of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural

a newly developed swelling-impregnation method, including Ru, Pt, Au, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu. Ru/PPhen is studied for 5-HMF hydrogenolysis, achieving a 92% yield of 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) under mild conditions, outperforming the state-of-the-art catalysts reported in the literature. In addition, PPhen helps perform a solventless reaction, achieving direct 5-HMF to DMF conversion in the absence of any liquid solvent or reagent. This approach in designing support-reactant/solvent/metal interactions will play an important role in surface catalysis.