Hydrogenation of Biomass-derived γ-Valerolactone to Form 1,4-Pentanediol over Co/ZrO2 Catalyst

Hydrogenation of γ-valerolactone (GVL) to form 1,4-pentanediol (1,4-PDO) was performed over Co/ZrO2 catalysts with a Co metal loading of 15 wt. %. The calcination of Co/ZrO2 at high temperatures significantly promoted the catalytic activity irrespective of the decrease in the specific surface area. The 750 °C-calcined Co/ZrO2 with Co2+ species exhibited a high catalytic performance: a GVL conversion of 86.1% with a 1,4-PDO selectivity of 97.2% was achieved at 165 °C under 5 MPa H2 pressure.