Liquid phase hydrogenation of methyl levulinate over the mixture of supported ruthenium catalyst and zeolite in water

• Liquid-phase methyl levulinate hydrogenation was studied over supported Ru catalysts.
• A mixture of Ru/graphite and ZSM-5 showed the highest γ-valerolactone yield.
• Ru was active for the hydrogenation to methyl 4-hydroxyvalerate or to γ-valerolactone.
• ZSM-5 was active for the dealcoholization of methyl 4-hydroxyvalerate.

Liquid-phase hydrogenation of methyl levulinate was studied over graphite-supported ruthenium (Ru/graphite), zeolite-supported ruthenium, and a mixture of Ru/graphite and zeolites in water at 343 K. The final γ-valerolactone yield over the mixture of Ru/graphite and ZSM-5 showed the highest activities between Ru/graphite, Ru/ZSM-5, and the mixture of Ru/graphite and several zeolites. Methyl levulinate was hydrogenated to methyl 4-hydroxyvalerate or directly to γ-valerolactone over supported ruthenium metal sites and methyl 4-hydroxyvalerate was converted to γ-valerolactone over acid sites. The mixture of Ru/graphite and ZSM-5 contained both highly dispersed ruthenium metal particles and a number of acid sites rather than those over zeolite-supported ruthenium catalysts, which led to the highest γ-valerolactone yield.

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