Cr-free Co–Cu/SBA-15 catalysts for hydrogenation of biomass-derived α-, β-unsaturated aldehyde to alcohol

Abstract

Cr-free bi-metallic SBA-15-supported Co–Cu catalysts were examined in the conversion of biomass-derived α-, β-unsaturated aldehyde (furfural) to value-added chemical furfuryl alcohol (FOL). Co–Cu/SBA-15 catalysts with a fixed Cu loading of 10 wt% and varying Co loadings (2.5, 5, and 10 wt%) were prepared by the impregnation method. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N2 sorption, H2 temperature-programmed reduction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, CO chemisorption, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The influence of different reaction parameters such as temperature, pressure, catalyst dosage, and furfural concentration on the catalyst performance was evaluated. Relative to catalysts supported on amorphous silica, the current SBA-15-supported Co–Cu catalysts displayed higher performance, attaining a furfural conversion of 99% and furfuryl alcohol selectivity of 80%. The catalytic reactions were conducted in a 100-mL autoclave at 170 °C and 2 MPa H2 pressure for 4 h.