Regioselective Upgrading of Furfural into 2-Methyl Furan over Cobalt Confined in Microporous Carbon Spheres
Xu Yang, Zidong Huang, Wu Liu, Xu Li, Shuyi Su, Hongliang Peng, Yanxiong Fang, Jinxiang Dong, Qiming Sun
Abstract
The selective hydrogenative upgrading of lignocellulose-derived furanic molecules into 2-methylfuran (2-MF) represents an appealing yet challenging goal, primarily due to the competing furan ring on metal surfaces, especially at low temperatures. This issue significantly limits the overall yield of 2-MF. Herein, we present an efficient regioselective strategy to maximize the 2-MF yield from furfural hydrodeoxygenation by encapsulating active cobalt species within microporous carbon spheres (Co@MCS). Both experimental results and theoretical calculations reveal that the micropores in MCS act as shape-selective fillers, guiding furfural’s access to the cobalt sites in a small, tilted configuration rather than a large, coplanar arrangement, thereby significantly suppressing the side reaction of ring hydrogenation. Remarkably, the high 2-MF productivity of 1.7 g 2-MF g Cat. –1 h –1 with nearly 100% selectivity is achieved over Co@MCS at 130 °C and 2 MPa of p H 2, overcoming all previously reported results. This work provides valuable insights for designing catalysts with high selectivity for the conversion of lignin-derived platform chemicals. Furthermore, the concept of confined catalysis holds promise for broader application in other industrial catalytic processes.