Effective Upgrade of Levulinic Acid into γ-Valerolactone over an Inexpensive and Magnetic Catalyst Derived from Hydrotalcite Precursor

A low-cost and magnetic catalyst derived from a hydrotalcite precursor was developed for selective hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA) into γ-valerolactone (GVL) in a methanol solvent. An excellent GVL yield of 98.1% with full LA conversion was achieved at 415 K over a magnetic and recyclable Ni 4.59 Cu 1 Mg 1.58 Al 1.96 Fe 0.70 catalyst. The specific textural and chemical characteristics of prepared samples were identified by ICP-AES, XRD, XPS, NH 3 -TPD, Py-IR, and nitrogen physisorption. Various parameters such as Ni/Cu molar ratio, reduction temperature, and reaction solvent played a great role in LA hydrogenation. The recycling experiments revealed that reactivated Ni 4.59 Cu 1 Mg 1.58 Al 1.96 Fe 0.70 maintained excellent activity, stability, and magnetism after being used five times, which made Ni 4.59 Cu 1 Mg 1.58 Al 1.96 Fe 0.70 a potential catalyst for the production of GVL in industry.