Activated carbon-supported ruthenium as an efficient catalyst for selective aerobic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-diformylfuran

The aerobic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF) was performed on an activated carbon-supported ruthenium (Ru/C) catalyst. The excellent DFF yield of 95.8% was achieved at 383 K and O2 pressure 2.0 MPa in toluene. It exhibited superior activity and DFF selectivity than other C-supported noble metals (i.e. Pt, Rh, Pd, and Au) with comparable nanoparticle size. The Ru/C catalyst was stable and can be recycled by a simple hydrothermal treatment. Moreover, the product distribution in the HMF oxidation on Ru/C can be tuned by the use of water as solvent and the addition of hydrotalcite, giving either 5-formyl-2-furancarboxylic acid or 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid as the dominant product.

摘要在活性炭负载金属钌(Ru/C)催化剂上实现了5-羟甲基糠醛的高效选择氧化. 以甲苯为反应溶剂, 在383 K和2.0 MPa O2的反应条件下, 2,5-呋喃二甲醛(DFF)收率高达95.8%. 与活性炭负载的具有相似粒径的Pt, Rh, Pd, Au等其它贵金属催化剂相比, Ru/C具有更加优良的活性和DFF选择性. 同时Ru/C催化剂结构稳定, 具有良好的重复使用性能. 在相似的反应条件下, 采用水代替甲苯作为溶剂, 同时添加少量水滑石固体碱, 可便捷地将主要产物从DFF调变为5-甲酰基-2-呋喃甲酸或2,5-呋喃二甲酸, 显示出Ru/C催化剂在控制5-羟甲基糠醛选择氧化反应产物方面的优异性能.

Graphical AbstractRu/C is an effective and recyclable catalyst in the aerobic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF), affording a high DFF yield of 95.8% in toluene.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide