Efficient hydrogenolysis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to produce 2,5-dimethylfuran using unsupported nickel-molybdenum nitride catalysts

An efficient and selective nickel-molybdenum nitride catalyst has been developed for the hydrogenolysis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to produce 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF). The results showed that Ni2Mo3N phase of the catalyst exhibited good hydrogenation activity for HMF, while Ni6Mo6C1.06 phase demonstrated effective C-O bond hydrogenolysis activity. By regulating the Ni/Mo molar ratios, the proportions of the Ni2Mo3N and Ni6Mo6C1.06 phases can be adjusted, and the NiMoNx (Ni:Mo=1:2) catalyst with good performance was prepared. Additionally, 2-propanol, as a good solvent, can react with HMF to form ethers, facilitating easier hydrogenolysis. This method leads to full conversion of HMF, achieving a 99% yield of DMF at 160 oC and 2 MPa H2 for 5 h. Furthermore, the catalyst displayed good recyclability, maintaining its activity over 4 cycles, indicating it has the potential application for the industrialization of 5-HMF hydrogenolysis to produce DMF.