Single pot selective conversion of furfural into 2-methylfuran over a Co-CoOx/AC bifunctional catalyst

Exploring low-cost green catalysts to achieve green organic chemicals and fuels from biomass is one of the crucial ways to solve the energy crisis. The 20 wt% Co-CoO x /AC catalysts were prepared to achieve the one-pot conversion of furfural to 2-methylfuran under milder reaction conditions (120 °C, 2.5 MPa H 2 ), shorter reaction time (5 h) and less catalyst dosage by regulating the ratio of metal to oxide species. The yield of 2-methylfuran reached 87.4 % is achieved under 20 wt% Co-CoO x /AC catalyst conditions, and there was no significant degradation of all catalyst properties after five cycles. Characterization results showed that the active components in the catalyst were present as Co 0 species with CoO x species. The reaction mechanism was explained by combining the characterization results, experimental data and DFT calculations. The formyl group of the furfural side chain is first adsorbed on the Co 0 species, and furfuryl alcohol is produced in the presence of the Co 0 species. Subsequently, the CoO x species adsorbs the C O bond on the side chain, which is broken in the presence of the CoO x species to form 2-methylfuran. The excellent catalytic activity of the 20 wt% Co-CoO x /AC catalyst provide a promising application for preparing 2-methylfuran by hydrodeoxygenation of furfural.