Pt nanoparticles over TiO2–ZrO2 mixed oxide as multifunctional catalysts for an integrated conversion of furfural to 1,4-butanediol

• A one-pot conversion over one catalyst for converting furfural to 1,4-butanediol.
• The total yield of 1,4-butanediol reaches 85.2% over multifuctional Pt/TiO2–ZrO2.
• The catalyst exhibits good recyclability in a five-run recycling test.
• The sustainability of this conversion is improved by the process intensification.

1,4-butanediol (BDO) is an important commodity chemical for manufacturing many basic chemicals and valuable polymers. Its current manufacturing processes are exclusively based on feedstocks derived from oil and natural gas. The biomass-to-BDO chemical transformation is via furfural, a key platform molecule from glucose and xylose. The integrated conversion involves two sequent reaction steps: selective oxidation of furfural to furanones and hydrogenation of the mixture of furanones to BDO. Platinum nanoparticles supported over TiO2–ZrO2 perform well for both oxidation and hydrogenation steps and the total yield of BDO reaches 85.2%. The chemical composition and crystallinity of the mixed oxide support significantly affect the catalytic performance. The best catalyst is platinum supported over TiO2–ZrO2 mixed oxide (Ti/Zr, 1:1) calcined at 823 K, which also exhibits good recoverability and recyclability in the five-run test.

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