Cu/Cu2O-MC (MC = Mesoporous Carbon) for Highly Efficient Hydrogenation of Furfural to Furfuryl Alcohol under Visible Light

Cu/Cu2O-MC (MC = mesoporous carbon), in which small sized metallic Cu and Cu2O nanoparticles were deposited on graphitized mesoporous carbon, has been successfully obtained via a pyrolysis at 1100 degrees C of a Cu/mesostructured polymer framework precursor obtained via an ion-exchange process between Cu2+ in [Cu(NH3)(4)](2+) and H+ in polymeric gel. Due to a synergistic effect played by Cu2O and plasmonic metallic Cu, the as-obtained Cu/Cu2O-MC showed superior performance for selective transfer hydrogenation of furfural (FAL) to produce furfuryl alcohol (FOL) under visible light, with 94.3% of FAL converted and a yield of 90.9% to FOL after being irradiated for 14 h. The TOF for the production of FOL was determined to be 4.65 h(-1) in 14 h, comparable to those previously reported over Cu-based catalysts for transfer hydrogenation of FAL to produce FOL carried out under high temperature. This study provides a green, sustainable, and cost-effective method for highly efficient transformation of FAL to produce FOL. This study also highlights the great potential of using Cu-based catalysts for light initiated transfer hydrogenation reactions.