The hydrogenation reaction of two methyl-substituted furans, 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) and 2-methylfuran (2MF), were studied over noble metal catalysts supported on carbon. We determined the conversion and product selectivity for each furan under different reaction conditions. The hydrogenated species, ring-opening (alcohols and ketones), and cracked products were observed during the hydrogenation of furans. The DMF and 2MF hydrogenation results showed that over a Pt/C catalyst the main reaction was furan ring opening and the primary hydrogenation products were ketones, while various cracked hydrocarbons were also observed. The Pt/C catalyst displayed high selectivity to 2-hexanol during DMF hydrogenation below 100oC. In contrast to the Pt/C catalyst, the Pd/C catalyst exhibited a completely different behavior in furan hydrogenation reactions. It showed a high selectivity to furan ring saturation products with only traces of other products. Moreover, in the case of DMF and 2MF hydrogenation, it showed high cracking tendency even at low reaction temperatures. We propose that the steric hindrance caused by an additional methyl group in the furan ring of DMF affects the mode of furan ring adsorption on the catalytic surface causing a reduction in the extent of cracking reactions. We also investigated the hydrogenation reaction using alcohols and ketones as a feed, which can be obtained as a result of 2MF and DMF hydrogenation. Lastly, the effects of crystal size and shape on the catalytic activity and selectivity were studied for a series of model nanoparticle Pt and Pd catalysts.

Hydrogenation of 2-methyl and dimethyl furans over noble metal catalysts

248th National Meeting (2014)

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