Hydrogenation of dimethyl 2,5-furandicarboxylate to dimethyl tetrahydrofuran-2,5-dicarboxylate over Ru/HY

The hydrogenation of biomass-based furan compounds is an important step for the catalytic valorization of biobased chemicals. In this work, Ru-based catalysts supported on different supports, such as HY, MgO and Amberlyst-15, were prepared and estimated for the hydrogenation of dimethyl 2,5-furandicarboxylate (FDMC). Among them, Ru/HY provided a desirable yield of 99.4% for tetrahydrofuran-2,5-dicarboxylic acid dimethyl ester (THFDMC) under 90 °C and 3 MPa H 2 . Based on catalyst characterization, Ru/HY could offer more surface Ru 0 species and carbon radical intermediates than other catalysts, which could largely favor the activation of hydrogen and then promote the hydrogenation of FDMC over Ru/HY.