Highly efficient production of DMF from biomass-derived HMF on recyclable Ni-Fe/TiO2 catalysts

Abstract

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural, which can be derived from lignocellulosic biomass, can be transformed via the hydrodeoxygenation process to potential biofuels, such as 2,5 dimethylfuran or other chemicals of industrial importance. Non-noble metal catalysts constitute a robust and cheap solution for this process. In this work, the modification of the Ni/TiO2 catalyst by the addition of iron and support modification was evaluated. It was shown that bimetallic Ni-Fe catalysts are more selective and stable than their monometallic counterparts. This improvement in properties depends on the Ni:Fe ratio, but the support plays an equally important role-namely the high surface area anatase titania support improves the metal dispersion, resulting in a higher catalytic activity, and the formation of NiFe alloy facilitates the C=O bond cleavage. Such catalysts are active and stable and can be easily separated from the reaction mixture thanks to their magnetic properties.