Process condition-based tuneable selective catalysis of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) hydrogenation reactions to aromatic, saturated cyclic and linear poly-functional alcohols over Ni-Ce/Al2O3

The related immense versatility of a ceria-promoted transition metal catalyst, utilized for the hydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), is demonstrated in this research study. We reveal a strategy to achieve considerable selective yields of three important high-value HMF-derived compounds by simply modifying the analysed reaction conditions and/or water-containing process medium.

Automated summary

This research demonstrates the remarkable versatility of a ceria-promoted transition metal catalyst for the hydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). By simply modifying the reaction conditions and/or using a water-containing process medium, significant selective yields of three important high-value HMF-derived compounds can be achieved.