Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation of Furfural to Furfuryl Alcohol over Nitrogen-Doped Carbon-Supported Iron Catalysts

Graphical FF to FFA with Fe : Efficient catalytic transfer hydrogenation of furfural (FF) to furfuryl alcohol (FFA) over heterogeneous iron catalysts is demonstrated for the first time. Iron cations coordinated by pyridinic nitrogen functionalities on the carbon support are possibly responsible for the enhanced catalytic activity. This paves the way for achieving biomass conversion through heterogeneous iron catalysis. Iron-based heterogeneous catalysts, which were generally prepared by pyrolysis of iron complexes on supports at elevated temperature, were found to be capable of catalyzing the transfer hydrogenation of furfural (FF) to furfuryl alcohol (FFA). The effects of metal precursor, nitrogen precursor, pyrolysis temperature, and support on catalytic performance were examined thoroughly, and a comprehensive study of the reaction parameters was also performed. The highest selectivity of FFA reached 83.0 % with a FF conversion of 91.6 % under the optimal reaction condition. Catalyst characterization suggested that iron cations coordinated by pyridinic nitrogen functionalities were responsible for the enhanced catalytic activity. The iron catalyst could be recycled without significant loss of catalytic activity for five runs, and the destruction of the nitrogen–iron species, the presence of crystallized Fe 2 O 3 phase, and the pore structure change were the main reasons for catalyst deactivation.