Insights into the catalytic synthesis of 2,5-hexanedione from the novel biomass-derived platform compound 5-chloromethylfurfural using NiMo@HZSM-5 catalyst

Abstract

Currently, there exists a significant deficiency of reports addressing the direct synthesis of 2,5-hexanedione (HD) from biomass a derivatives 5-Chloromethylfurfural (CMF). The in-situ generation of hydrochloric acid during the hydrogenation process of CMF necessitates catalysts with exceptional acid resistance, which has compelled previous studies to rely on noble-metal catalysts—an approach that poses challenges for scaling up HD production. Herein, this study presents the inaugural report of a non-noble metal nickel-based alloy catalyst synthesized through a straightforward wet impregnation method, which facilitates the efficient catalytic hydrogenation of CMF to produce HD under mild conditions. The results demonstrate that complete conversion of CMF was achieved and an 81.6 % yield of HD was obtained under optimal reaction conditions. In addition, the reaction pathway for synthesizing HD from CMF was elucidated based on the reaction kinetics and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, accompanied by an in-depth investigation into the reaction mechanism. The molybdenum was incorporated into the catalyst to form alloy components, which significantly enhanced the stability and acid resistance of the catalyst, thereby improving its catalytic performance. This study presents a novel approach for non-noble metal alloy catalysts to efficiently facilitate the conversion of biomass derivatives into downstream chemicals in an acidic environment.