A Novel Consecutive Approach for the Preparation of Cu-MgO Catalysts with High Activity for Hydrogenation of Furfural to Furfuryl Alcohol

A consecutive approach is introduced and tested for the first time to synthesize copper-magnesia catalysts with different (Cr, Ca, and Co) promoters for the catalytic hydrogenation of furfural. The comparison of the activity of these catalysts with that prepared via conventional co-precipitation indicated the superior activity of the former. A stable conversion of furfural (up to 91%) to furfuryl alcohol was achieved over the thus-prepared Cu-MgO and CaCu-MgO catalysts. However, both CoCu-MgO and CaCu-MgO demonstrated higher selectivities (about 99%) than the other two samples (Cu-MgO and CrCu-MgO). No direct interconnection was established between the catalytic activity and structural features of the catalysts, however. [GRAPHICS] .