Mono- and bimetallic (Ru-Co) polymeric catalysts for levulinic acid hydrogenation

Levulinic acid (LA) is one of the substances, which can be obtained from cellulosic biomass via acid hydrolysis and serves as a precursor in the synthesis of gamma-valerolactone (GVL) - platform chemical for so-called valeric fuels. This work is devoted to the study of catalytic conversion of LA to GVL using mono-(Ru) and bimetallic (RuCo) catalysts based on ruthenium-containing nanoparticles immobilized in hyper-crosslinked polystyrene (HPS). It was shown that RuO2 nanoparticles are an active phase of HPS-based Ru catalysts, which allow nearly 100 % yield of GVL at 120 degrees C and 2 MPa of hydrogen partial pressure for the reaction time 60 min. Introduction of cobalt in catalyst composition in a proper amount (Ru-to-Co weight ratio is 30) was found to result in Ru redistribution inside the polymeric support and, in turn, to the increase of reaction rate of LA hydrogenation.

Automated summary

This study successfully achieved high-yield synthesis of GVL from LA using Ru-based catalysts, with RuO2 nanoparticles playing a critical role in the catalytic reaction. Additionally, the introduction of a proper amount of cobalt can promote the redistribution of Ru inside the polymeric support and enhance the reaction rate of LA hydrogenation.