Carbothermal Shock Synthesis of a PtCoCe Ternary Oxide Catalyst for Selective Hydrogenolysis of Furfural to 1,5-Pentanediol

Direct hydrogenolysis of biomass-derived furfural to produce 1,5-pentanediol, an essential precursor for polyesters and polyurethanes, plays a significant role in biomass utilization. In this work, using the carbothermal shock strategy, 1.5PtCo1Ce1-CTS ternary metal oxides were successfully prepared, containing abundant oxygen vacancies (Ov) and Co2+ species that are favorable for hydrogen transfer and ring-opening of furan, thereby enhancing catalytic activity and 1,5-pentanediol selectivity. Under an optimized condition (170 °C, 3 MPa of H2, 4 h), the 1.5PtCo1Ce1-CTS catalyst achieved furfural conversion at 99.3% and 1,5-pentanediol selectivity at 59.2%. During recycling tests, the 1.5PtCo1Ce1-CTS catalyst exhibited high resistance to deactivation with a simple and rapid regeneration process. This work offers an alternative, versatile, and eco-friendly strategy for designing efficient heterogeneous catalysts for the hydrogenolysis of furfural into 1,5-pentanediol in the future.