Highly Efficient CuCoLa Catalyst for the Direct Hydrogenation of Furfural to Pentanediols

The direct conversion of furfural (FA) from biomass to pentanediols (PeDs), including 1,2-PeD and 1,5-PeD, is important for replacing fossil resources and developing bio-based polyesters from renewable sources. However, achieving high selectivity for the C–O hydrogenation of the furan ring remains a significant challenge. In this study, we synthesized a series of trimetallic CuCoLa catalysts, using a coprecipitation method with various metal ratios. The reduced CuCoLa catalyst with a metal ratio of 1/3/1, exhibited the highest activity for the selective hydrogenolysis of FA to PeDs. Under optimal reaction conditions (160 °C, 4 MPa H 2 for 9 h), CuCoLa(1/3/1)-R achieved yields of 21.7% for 1,2-PeD and 50.1% for 1,5-PeD. Furthermore, the catalyst remained stable after five cycles of FA conversion to PeDs. The high selectivity for PeDs is attributed to the synergistic interaction between Cu and Co and the appropriate number of basic surface sites. Graphical Abstract