Development of a Green Process for the Synthesis of Cyclopentanone Using Selective Aqueous Phase Hydrogenation of Furfural over Ni–Cu@MOF-5 Catalyst

In the pursuit of the net-zero goal, the use of biomass-derived feedstock for the manufacture of fuels, chemicals, and polymers has taken a central stage. In this regard, selective hydrogenation of furfural, a platform chemical obtained from lignocellulosic biomass, to cyclopentanone (CPO) is commercially attractive. In the current work, a bimetallic catalyst based on transition metals Ni and Cu loaded onto the MOF-5 support, synthesized by the incipient wetness process, was used in the hydrogenation of furfural to selectively produce CPO. 5 wt % Ni–Cu (1:1) @MOF-5 catalyst gave 100% furfural conversion with 96% CPO yield at 150 °C and 25 bar hydrogen pressure in 5 h. The doping of nickel and copper on MOF-5 leads to a synergetic effect, providing enhanced hydrostability, reducing ability, and promotion of the CO bond, inhibition of furan ring hydrogenation, and suppression of the formation of a likely byproduct tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol. In addition to enhancing reactant adsorption, the inclusion of Ni-Cu on the MOF also provides weak Lewis acid sites, enhancing the selectivity of CPO. The optimization of the process parameters was done. Reaction mechanisms and kinetics were studied. The virgin and reused catalysts were thoroughly characterized to shed light on the reaction mechanism and selectivity. This is a biobased clean and green process for the synthesis of a valuable chemical.