Bimetallic PtSn catalyst for the selective hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol in liquid phase

ANDREA B. MERLO; VIRGINIA VETERE; JOSÉ F. RUGGERA; MÓNICA L. CASELLA

CATALYSIS COMMUNICATIONS

Elsevier B.V.

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2009 vol. 10 p. 1665 - 1669

1566-7367

Bimetallic PtSn catalysts, containing different amounts of tin, were obtained by means of controlled surface reactions and used in the liquid-phase hydrogenation of furfural. All the studied systems allowed to obtain fufuryl alcohol with high selectivity (96–98%). A minor product was detected when alcoholic solvent were employed, coming from the reaction between furfuryl alcohol and the solvent. Nonalcoholic and non-polar solvents caused a drastic activity decrease.When used in consecutive hydrogenation reactions, the bimetallic catalysts showed a certain deactivation (25% between the first and third cycle), but still they were very selective to furfuryl alcohol. The most efficient system was the catalyst with the lowest tin content (PtSn0.3).