Highly efficient hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol over Cu–Al 2 O 3 –ZnO catalyst

and CuO, which have appropriate adsorption properties for furfural. ZnO promotes the dispersion of the Cu species and enhances the accessibility of the active sites. The etching method achieves the interaction between species to further enhance the stability and activity of the catalyst. The catalytic performance of the catalyst is very competitive and this study provides a new method for the efficient hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol.