Industrially Applicable Aqueous-Phase Selective Hydrogenation of Furfural on an Efficient TiOx-Modified Ni Nanocatalyst

Because water is involved in the formation of furfural (FFR), aqueous-phase selective hydrogenation of FFR to furfuryl alcohol (FOL) has the potential for industrial applications, but it has not yet been well exploited. Here, partially reduced TiOx-modified Ni nanocatalysts were studied. The Ni–TiO2 interaction adjusts the Ni electron structure and affects the catalyst adsorption properties. FFR is adsorbed on the TiOx oxygen vacancy (OV) by C═O, and the FOL selectivity is positively correlated with the surface OV content. The active H atoms dissociated on Ni spillover to the TiOx surface and then attack the adsorbed FFR C═O. The precise synergistic effect of Ni and OV improves the comprehensive performance of FFR hydrogenation. Under mild conditions, FFR conversion can reach 92.5% and FOL selectivity can be as high as 96.8%. This is an extremely excellent performance of aqueous-phase FFR selective hydrogenation, and thus, the TiOx-modified Ni nanocatalyst is a very promising candidate for industrial applications.