Room-Temperature Total Hydrogenation of Biomass-Derived Furans and Furan/Acetone Aldol Adducts over a Ni–Pd Alloy Catalyst

Abstract

Transformation of biomass and its derived compounds to produce fuel and different valuable chemicals is one of the best ways to reduce global dependence on fossil resources. For the production of different value added chemicals seeking application in transportation and various industrial processes, furans are getting much attention owing to the presence of highly reactive −CHO and/or −CH2OH with a furan ring. Here we show a simple yet efficient catalytic strategy for the room-temperature total hydrogenation of biomass-derived furans and their aldol adducts. We describe hydrogenation of different functional groups (furan ring, olefins, and carbonyl groups) of the biomass-derived furans over simple, cost-effective, and highly active bimetallic NiPd alloy nanoparticles at 298 K using a H2 balloon. This procedure is suitable for the hydrogenation of a series of furans and furan/acetone aldol adducts having C5–C15 carbon chains and for a gram-scale transformation for a practical application.