Ruthenium nanoparticles supported over mesoporous TiO2 as an efficient bifunctional nanocatalyst for esterification of biomass-derived levulinic acid and transfer-hydrogenation reactionsElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c6ra10233f

• Main Authors: Mandi, Usha, Salam, Noor, Kundu, Sudipta K, Bhaumik, Asim, Islam, Sk. Manirul
• Format: Journal Article
• Published: 02.08.2016
• ISSN: 2046-2069
• DOI: 10.1039/c6ra10233f

We have supported ruthenium nanoparticles (NPs) over a mesoporous TiO 2 material (Ru@MTiO 2 ) having nanoscale porosity and a high BET surface area. Wide-angle powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra (UV-vis) and N 2 sorption studies are used to characterize the Ru@MTiO 2 material. This nanostructured ruthenium supported over a TiO 2 material exhibited excellent bifunctional catalytic activity in the esterification of levulinic acid and selective transfer hydrogenation reactions of nitroarenes under mild reaction conditions. This Ru@MTiO 2 catalyst can be easily recovered from the reaction mixtures and reused five times without a significant loss of its reactivity and selectivity. Ru NPs supported over mesoporous TiO 2 nanocatalyst and its catalytic activity was evaluated in the esterification of levulinic acid and selective transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes.