Hydrogenolysis of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-Dimethylfuran under Mild Conditions without Any Additive

The hydrogenolysis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) is a very significant reaction, and it is a typical route for producing important chemicals from biomass. Efficient catalysts without any additive for the hydrogenolysis of HMF to DMF under mild conditions are highly desirable. Herein, we found that the Pd/C catalyst prepared in γ-valerolactone (Pd-GVL/C) is an efficient catalyst for the hydrogenolysis of HMF to DMF, and 95.6% of DMF could be obtained at 80 °C without any additive. The GVL interacted with Pd particles and enhanced the activity of the catalyst. It is the first example to achieve the hydrogenolysis of HMF to DMF below 100 °C without any additive.