Highly selective ring rearrangement of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 3-hydroxymethylcyclopentanon catalyzed by non-noble Ni-Fe/Al2O3

Critical Factors Affecting the Selective Transformation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural to 3-Hydroxymethylcyclopentanone Over Ni Catalysts

The ring-rearrangement of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 3-hydroxymethylcyclopentanone (HCPN) was investigated over Ni catalysts supported on different carbon supports and metallic oxides with different structure and acid-base properties. Their catalytic performance was tested in a batch stirred reactor in aqueous solution at 180 °C and 30 bar of H2. Under these conditions, the HMF hydrogenation proceeds through three possible competitive routes: (i) a non-water path leading to the total hydrogenation product, 2,5-di-hydroxymethyl-tetrahydrofuran (DHMTHF), and two parallel acid-catalyzed water-mediated routes responsible for (ii) ring-opening and (iii) ring-rearrangement reaction products. All catalyst systems primarily produced HCPN, but reaction rates and product distribution were influenced by several variables, some of them intensely analyzed in this work. The most proper conditions resulted to be the presence of the medium/strong Lewis's acidity of a Ni/ZrO2 catalyst (initial TOF=5.99 min-1 and 73 % HCPN selectivity) or the Brønsted acidity originated by an oxidized high surface area graphite, Ni/HSAG-ox (initial TOF=5.92 min-1 and 87 % HCPN selectivity). However, too high density of acidic sites on the catalyst support (Ni/Al2O3) and sulfur impurities from the HMF feedstock led to catalyst deactivation by coke deposition and Ni poisoning, respectively.

A Comprehensive Review on Metal Catalysts for the Production of Cyclopentanone Derivatives from Furfural and HMF

The catalytic transformation of biomass-based furan compounds (furfural and HMF) for the synthesis of organic chemicals is one of the important ways to utilize renewable biomass resources. Among the numerous high-value products, cyclopentanone derivatives are a kind of valuable compound obtained by the hydrogenation rearrangement of furfural and HMF in the aqueous phase of metal-hydrogen catalysis. Following the vast application of cyclopentanone derivatives, this reaction has attracted wide attention since its discovery, and a large number of catalytic systems have been reported to be effective in this transformation. Among them, the design and synthesis of metal catalysts are at the core of the reaction. This review briefly introduces the application of cyclopentanone derivatives, the transformation mechanism, and the pathway of biomass-based furan compounds for the synthesis of cyclopentanone derivatives. The important progress of metal catalysts in the reaction since the first report in 2012 up to now is emphasized, the characteristics and catalytic performance of different metal catalysts are introduced, and the critical role of metal catalysts in the reaction is discussed. Finally, the future development of this transformation process was prospected.

Selective Conversion of HMF into 3-Hydroxymethylcyclopentylamine through a One-Pot Cascade Process in Aqueous Phase over Bimetallic NiCo Nanoparticles as Catalyst

5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) has been successfully valorized into 3-hydroxymethylcyclopentylamine through a one-pot cascade process in aqueous phase by coupling the hydrogenative ring-rearrangement of HMF into 3-hydroxymethylcyclopentanone (HCPN) with a subsequent reductive amination with ammonia. Mono- (Ni@C, Co@C) and bimetallic (NiCo@C) nanoparticles with different Ni/Co ratios partially covered by a thin carbon layer were prepared and characterized. Results showed that a NiCo catalyst, (molar ratio Ni/Co=1, Ni_0.5 Co_0.5 @C), displayed excellent performance in the hydrogenative ring-rearrangement of HMF into HCPN (>90 % yield). The high selectivity of the catalyst was attributed to the formation of NiCo alloy structures as hydrogenating sites that limited competitive reactions such as the hydrogenation of furan ring and the over-reduction of the formed HPCN. The subsequent reductive amination of HPCN with aqueous ammonia was performed giving the target cyclopentylaminoalcohol in 97 % yield. Moreover, the catalyst exhibited high stability maintaining its activity and selectivity for repeated reaction cycles.

Selective Hydrogenation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural to 1-Hydroxy-2,5-hexanedione by Biochar-Supported Ru Catalysts

The development of sustainable and efficient catalysts -namely Ru supported on activated biochars- is carried out for the selective hydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 1-hydroxy-2,5-hexanedione (HHD). Activated biochars obtained from pyrolysis and steam-based physical activation of two different biomasses from animal (leather tannery waste; A_Lw ) and vegetal (hazelnut shells; A_HSw ) origins show completely different chemical, textural, and morphological properties. Compared to A_Lw , after impregnation with 0.5 wt % Ru, A_HSw , with inner micro-mesochannels and cavities and higher layer stacking disorder, leads to better trapping and anchoring of Ru nanoparticles on the catalyst and a suitable Ru single crystal dispersion. This leads to a highly active Ru/A_HSw catalyst in the proposed reaction, giving more than 80 % selectivity to HHD and full HMF conversion at 100 °C with 30 bar H₂ for 3 h. Ru/A_HSw also shows promising performance compared to a commercial Ru/C catalyst.

Catalytic Transformation of Biomass-Derived Furfurals to Cyclopentanones and Their Derivatives: A Review

Furfural (FF) and 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) are well-recognized biomass-derived chemical building blocks with established applications and markets for several of their derivatives. Attaining a wide spectrum of petrochemicals is the primary target of a biorefinery that employs FF and HMF as the chemical feedstock. In this regard, cyclopentanone (CPN) is a crucial petrochemical intermediate used for synthesizing a diverse range of compounds with immense commercial prospects. The hydrogenative ring rearrangement of FF to CPN in an aqueous medium under catalytic hydrogenation conditions was first reported in 2012, whereas the first report on the catalytic conversion of HMF to 3-(hydroxymethyl)cyclopentanone (HCPN) was published in 2014. Over the past decade, several investigations have been undertaken in converting FF and HMF to CPN and HCPN, respectively. The research studies aimed to improve the scalability, selectivity, environmental footprint, and cost competitiveness of the process. A blend of theoretical and experimental studies has helped to develop efficient, inexpensive, and recyclable heterogeneous catalysts that work under mild reaction conditions while providing excellent yields of CPN and HCPN. The time is ripe to consolidate the data in this area of research and analyze them rigorously in a review article. This work will assist both beginners and experts of this field in acknowledging the accomplishments to date, recognize the challenges, and strategize the way forward.

Taming the butterfly effect: modulating catalyst nanostructures for better selectivity control of the catalytic hydrogenation of biomass-derived furan platform chemicals

This minireview highlights versatile routes for catalyst nanostructure modulation for better hydrogenation selectivity control of typical biomass-derived furan platform chemicals to tame the butterfly effect on the catalytic selectivity.