Hydrodeoxygenation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural over Alumina-Supported Catalysts in Aqueous Medium

Catalytic activity and selectivity of Ni, Pd, and Cu supported on γ-alumina catalysts for the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural hydrodeoxygenation in aqueous phase were studied in this work. The catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation and characterized by BET surface area, ICP-OES, dynamic chemisorption, temperature-programmed reduction, and ATR-IR. The reactions were carried out in a downflow reactor at a hydrogen pressure of 0.41 MPa and a temperature range of 137–189 °C. A variety of valuable compounds were obtained depending on the nature of the metal deposited on the support. Ni and Pd-supported catalysts were selective toward products of the decarbonylation reaction of the HMF carbonyl group, whereas hydrogenolysis products were observed on Cu-supported catalyst. Additionally, the Pd-supported catalyst was quite selective to hydrogenate the furan ring, especially at high temperatures.