Global Climate Research

Overview

Biomass conversion to valuable chemicals is a key area of sustainable chemistry research, focusing on developing alternatives to fossil fuel-based products.

Furfural is an important platform molecule derived from biomass that can be converted into various valuable chemicals. The selective hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol is particularly important as the product has wide applications in green solvents, resins, and chemical synthesis.

This study addresses the need for efficient, stable, and environmentally friendly catalysts for the selective hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol. Here we show that bimetallic Cu-Ni phyllosilicate catalysts, particularly with copper-rich composition (15% Cu-5% NiPS), achieve high conversion (88%) and selectivity (90%) in furfural hydrogenation under mild conditions.

Previous catalysts like Cu-chromite showed toxicity issues, while monometallic Ni or Cu catalysts demonstrated either low activity or poor selectivity. The new bimetallic catalyst combines improved performance with cost-effectiveness and sustainability, while avoiding the environmental issues of chromium-based catalysts. This work contributes to the broader field of sustainable chemistry by developing more efficient processes for biomass valorization and green chemical production.

The catalyst can be used in industrial production of furfuryl alcohol, which has applications in green solvents, resins, binders, and fuel additives. The improved efficiency and sustainability could make biomass-derived chemicals more competitive with fossil-based alternatives. Future work could focus on scaling up the catalyst production and testing its performance in continuous flow reactors. Additional research could explore applying similar bimetallic phyllosilicate catalysts to other biomass conversion reactions.