Photocatalytic Hydrogenation of Levulinic Acid and Furfural to Fuel Additives over Ru-Decorated Carbon-Channelized Catalyst
Arzoo Chauhan, Rajat Ghalta, Rajendra Srivastava
Abstract
γ-Valerolactone (GVL) and cyclopentanol (CPL) are valuable biomass-derived chemicals with applications as green solvents, renewable fuels, and intermediates in polymers and pharmaceuticals. However, their conventional synthesis requires high energy and expensive catalysts. Here, we report a Ru-decorated g-C 3 N 4 (CN) and phytic acid-derived carbon (CP) composite (Ru@CP1/CN1) as an efficient photocatalyst for the selective transformation of levulinic acid (LA) to GVL and furfural (FUR) to CPL under mild conditions with simultaneous water splitting. The Ru@CP1/CN1 catalyst achieves ∼99% selectivity for GVL in 6 h and 86% selectivity for CPL in 9 h with nearly complete conversion. The superior performance is attributed to enhanced charge separation, facilitated by the CP support, enabling efficient electron transfer from CN to Ru active sites. In situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) confirm the charge transfer mechanism, while control experiments, deuterium labeling, in situ IR spectroscopy, and EPR analysis provide mechanistic insights. The catalyst demonstrates excellent stability, maintaining activity and selectivity over five consecutive cycles. This work establishes Ru@CP1/CN1 as a promising photocatalyst for sustainable biomass valorization, offering an energy-efficient and selective pathway for green chemical production and fuel additives.