Hydrodeoxygenation of furfural-acetone condensation adduct over alumina-zirconia and silica-zirconia supported nickel catalysts

Abstract

Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) reaction of furfural-acetone condensation adduct (FAA) using Ni-supported catalyst were investigated. The used of alumina-zirconia and silica-zirconia served as the support of Ni catalyst. The physicochemical properties of the catalysts were evaluated by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and N2-physisorption. The catalyst testing using 10% Ni/Al2O3-ZrO2 and 10% Ni/SiO2-ZrO2 for HDO reaction of FFA for 4 h in the presence of water using batch reactor at 200°C showed the network reaction containing partial and total hydrogenation, ring opening and hydrocracking into furanyl-alkane derivatives and hydrocarbon derivatives, such as, 4-(furan-2-yl)butan-2-one (4); 4-(4,5-dihydrofuran-2-yl)butan-2-one (5); 4-(tetrahydrofuran-2-yl)butan-2-one (6); (E)-1,5-di(furan-2-yl)pent-1-en-3-one (7); 1,5-di(furan-2-yl)pentan-3-one (8); 1-(furan-2-yl)-5-(tetrahydrofuran-2-yl)pentan-3-one (9); non-1-en-3-one (10); and decane (11), with the total yield in 55-81%. By increasing the Ni loading into 20%, the increasing conversion of HDO product is observed. The used of Al2O3-ZrO2 and SiO2-ZrO2 as support catalysts direct product selectivity. The Ni/SiO2-ZrO2 promote the formation of 1,5-di(furan-2-yl)pentan-3-one (8), whereas Ni/Al2O3-ZrO2 gave non-1-en-3-one (10) as major compound.