Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation of Dimethyl 1, 4‐cyclohexane Dicarboxylate into 1, 4‐cyclohexanedimethanol over Cu/ZnO/Al2O3/ZrO2 Catalysts

A novel and efficient protocol for the conversion of dimethyl 1, 4‐cyclohexane dicarboxylate (DMCD) into 1, 4‐cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) was proposed via catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH). In this approach, methanol functioned as both the hydrogen donor and the solvent, and a cost‐effective Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ catalyst was utilized for facilitating the reaction. Under the specified conditions at 235 °C, a conversion of 96.61 % with a selectivity of 60.71 % was achieved. To elucidate the reaction mechanism, comprehensive characterizations were conducted to examine the catalysts with varying ZrO₂ contents. The investigation revealed that the reaction begins with the adsorption of DMCD and methanol onto the acidic sites of the catalyst, followed by their activation on the reduced‐state Cu.