Catalytic transfer hydrogenation of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-dimethylfuran over a unique Cu-based catalyst

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) played a crucial role in the selective hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF). In this work, a series of Cu-MOF-based catalysts were synthesized and applied to the catalytic transfer hydrodeoxygenation (CTHDO) of HMF to produce DMF. Catalyst 2Cu/1BTC-700 exhibited the best catalytic performance, achieving a DMF yield of 95.84 % at 180 °C using isopropanol as the hydrogen donor. Results of detailed characterizations showed the excellent catalytic performance was attributed the appropriate specific surface area, acid sites, the smallest particle size and the synergistic effect between Cu 0 and Cu  +  species. Mechanistic studies revealed metallic Cu 0 promoted isopropanol dehydrogenation, generating active hydrogen to initiate the CTHDO reaction of HMF, while Cu + acted as Lewis acid sites promoting the activation of the C=O bond and subsequent C–OH cleavage. In addition, the catalyst also had a good reusability, which could give some insights to the high value conversion of HMF.