Selective Cu and Ni-MOFs as pre-catalysts for the hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol

In this work, we report the design of one-dimensional (1D) metal-organic framework containing Cu(ii) and Ni(ii) active sites using a N,N '-bis-(4-pyridyl)isophthalamide linker to form MOF 1 [Cu-1/2(L1)(NO3-).DMF] and MOF 2 [Ni(1/2)L1Cl]. The MOFs were evaluated as heterogeneous catalysts for the hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol. MOF 2 catalyst showed impressive performance with conversion of FF (81%) and selectivity towards FA (100%). Post-experimental characterisation showed that the structural integrity of the MOF 2 was not altered after catalysis. The catalyst could also be reused several times without any significant loss in activity and selectivity. Furthermore, a possible plausible reaction mechanism of the reaction over MOF 2 was proposed.

Automated summary

In this study, a one-dimensional metal-organic framework containing Cu (II) and Ni (II) active sites was designed using a N,N'-bis-(4-pyridyl)isophthalamide linker to form MOF 1 [Cu-1/2(L1)(NO3-).DMF] and MOF 2 [Ni(1/2)L1Cl]. The performance of MOF 2 catalyst was evaluated for the hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol, and impressive results were obtained with a conversion of FF of 81% and selectivity towards FA of 100%. The structural integrity of MOF 2 was not affected after catalysis, and the catalyst could be reused without significant loss in activity and selectivity. A possible reaction mechanism for the reaction over MOF 2 was proposed.