A Non‐Noble Monometallic Catalyst Derived from Cu–MOFs for Highly Selective Hydrogenation of 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5‐Dimethylfuran

Abstract Selective hydrogenation of biomass 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2, 5‐dimethylfuran (DMF) which is a suitable candidate for liquid fuel has been widely concerned. Developing efficient and economic catalysts for the hydrogenation of HMF to DMF under mild conditions is a crucial issue. Here series monometallic Cu‐based catalysts were synthesized from controlled thermolysis of Cu‐BTC metal‐organic frameworks and characterized by TG, N 2 adsorption‐desorption, XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, and H 2 ‐TPR techniques. The CuO x @C catalyst with Cu 2 O/Cu composites enwrapped in porous carbon matrix derived from Cu‐BTC by two steps thermolysis treatment shows high hydrogenation activity with 100% conversion of HMF and 92% selectivity of DMF at 180 °C under 3 MPa H 2 pressure. The oxidation treatment following up the thermolysis of Cu‐BTC under inert atmosphere increases the content of Cu + in the catalyst and improves the activity of the catalyst, which is mainly owe to the synergetic effect between Cu + and Cu 0 .