Promotional Role of Surface Defects on Carbon-Supported Ruthenium-Based Catalysts in the Transfer Hydrogenation of Furfural

• Published in: ChemCatChem Vol. 8; no. 24; pp. 3769 - 3779
• Main Authors: Gao, Zhi, Yang, Lan, Fan, Guoli, Li, Feng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Blackwell Publishing Ltd 19.12.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Alcohol; biomass; Carbon; Hydrogenation; ruthenium; supported catalysts; surface analysis
• ISSN: 1867-3880; 1867-3899
• DOI: 10.1002/cctc.201601070

The synthesis of highly efficient supported metal catalysts is of vital importance for the modern development of the production of chemicals. In this regard, biomass‐based chemical transformation holds potential promise through many heterogeneous catalytic processes. Herein, we report surface defect engineering on a carbon‐supported, Ru‐based catalyst by a two‐step hybridization–self‐reduction route, which involves the assembly of a hybrid composite of ternary Co‐Al‐Ru layered double hydroxide (CoAlRu‐LDH) and amorphous carbon through the carbonization of glucose and a subsequent in situ self‐reduction process. The results revealed that Ru3+ species in the resulting CoAlRu‐LDH‐C composite could be reduced in situ to Ru0 species by the carbon component in the hybrid composite, and Co‐containing spinels with a large quantity of surface oxygen vacancies could be formed simultaneously on the surface. The as‐fabricated Ru‐based catalyst showed a superior catalytic performance in the liquid‐phase transfer hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol using benzyl alcohol as hydrogen donator to other Ru‐based catalysts derived from LDH‐C composite precursors. It was proven that surface defects (i.e., oxygen vacancies, Co2+ species) could enable the chemisorption of furfural spatially and ensure the activation of its carbonyl groups, which promoted the transfer hydrogenation greatly. Under the surface: A new strategy is employed to construct surface defects on carbon‐supported oxide‐modified Ru‐based catalysts by a two‐step hybridization–self‐reduction route. The as‐fabricated, defect‐rich, Ru‐based catalyst exhibits an excellent catalytic performance in the transfer hydrogenation of furfural, mainly because of the promotional effects of a quantity of surface defects (oxygen vacancies, Co2+ species) on the chemisorption and activation of furfural.