Hydrogen-Free Catalytic Reduction of Biomass-Derived 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural into 2,5-Bis(hydroxymethyl)furan Using Copper–Iron Oxides Bimetallic Nanocatalyst

2,5-Bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF) produced from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) plays a significant role in the production of resins, fibers, foams, drugs, polymers, ketones and ethers. In this study, a novel cost-effective copper iron magnetic bimetallic nanocatalyst supported on activated carbon (CuO–Fe3O4/AC) was developed for the selective hydrogenation of HMF into BHMF via Meerwein–Ponndorf–Verley (MPV) reaction using ethanol as a hydrogen donor. Various analytical techniques such as HRTEM-EDX, TGA, ICP-OES, XRD, H2-TPR, XPS, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms (BET and BJH methods) were used to characterize the prepared catalyst. Reaction parameters affecting the selectivity of BHMF such as catalyst concentration, temperature, and time were studied. Kinetic study indicated a pseudo-first order reaction with a significant high rate constant of BHMF formation compared with the formation rate constants of MF, MFA, and DMF byproducts. At the optimum reaction conditions, 94.8% of BHMF selectivity and 97.5% conversion were obtained in ethanol over 1:1 (w/w), HMF/Catalyst, at 150 °C for 5 h. The recycling experiments revealed that the catalyst maintained its high catalytic activity after five runs.