Transfer Hydrogenation of Furfural to Furfuryl Alcohol Under Microwave Irradiation Using Mixed Oxides

Abstract

The reaction to obtain furan alcohols is one of the most important in the upgrading of furan derivates. An attractive route is the transfer hydrogenation of furfural using acidic-basic catalysts. In this work, mixed oxides derived from ternary hydrotalcites were employed to obtain furfuryl alcohol from furfural assisted by microwave irradiation. These materials were characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and the CO₂ temperature-programmed desorption (CO₂ -TPD) analyses. The lamellar structure of hydrotalcite-type materials collapses during the calcination process, resulting in the loss of carbonate anions and hydroxyl groups, present in the interlayer space. This leads to the formation of mixed oxides that exhibit larger surface areas. Furthermore, these changes alter the basic nature of these materials, giving rise to the formation of strong basic sites. The reaction was studied using containing Co²⁺ and Ni²⁺ in their structure and was then optimized using distinct primary and secondary alcohols as hydrogen donor sources, as well as distinct temperatures and initial concentrations of furfural. The yields to furfuryl alcohol are strongly dependent on the type of Me²⁺ in layered oxides mainly due to higher basicity and to the donor employed in the reaction. The mixed oxide containing Co²⁺ showed complete conversion of furfural and higher yields to furfuryl alcohol (>95 %) at short times of reaction (<1 h).

Keywords: biomass; furfural; microwave synthesis; mixed oxides; transfer hydrogenation.