Tunable copper-catalyzed chemoselective hydrogenolysis of biomass-derived γ-valerolactone into 1,4-pentanediol or 2-methyltetrahydrofuran

Direct conversion of γ-valerolactone, which is one of the most significant cellulose-derived compounds, into 1,4-pentanediol was carried out by chemoselective hydrogenolysis catalyzed by a simple yet versatile copper–zirconia catalyst. Depending on the reaction conditions, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran could also be obtained in excellent yields.