Effect of physicochemical properties of carbons on the performance of bead-type Pd/C catalysts for furfural hydrogenation

Abstract

In green heterogeneous catalytic systems, alginate has emerged as a promising material for transforming powder catalysts into solid forms because of its sustainability and non-toxicity. Herein, the effect of carbon supports, including activated carbon (AC), carbon black (CB), carbon nanotubes (CNT), and carbon nanofibers (CNF), on a bead-type Pd/alginate-carbon catalyst was studied. Bead-type supports were synthesized by alginate gelation, and Pd-supported bead-type catalysts were prepared by a chemical reduction method. The catalytic activity in the hydrogenation of furfural was evaluated. Physical properties such as the specific surface area and pore volume of the carbon support greatly influenced the properties of the bead-type Pd/C catalyst. Pd/CB-alginate bead (AB), which had the highest specific surface area and pore volume, exhibited the smallest Pd particle size and dispersion, resulting in the highest catalytic performance. Additionally, the catalyst exhibited the highest FF conversion of 99 % and tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol selectivity of 92 % under 20 bar of H2 at 35 ℃ for 4 h.