Oral Presentation Royal Australian Chemical Institute National Congress 2026

Sustainable catalytic transfer hydrogenation of biomass-derived furfural to γ-valerolactone over synergistic NiCo-BTC metal–organic frameworks (136890)

Sudarat Thansirisunthorn 1 , Thapong Teerawatananond 2 , Patcharaporn Weerachawanasak 3
  1. Department of Chemistry, School of Science, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Ladkrabang, Bangkok, 10520, Thailand
  2. College of Innovation and Industrial Management, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Ladkrabang, Bangkok, 10520, Thailand
  3. Advanced Pure and Applied Chemistry Research Unit, School of Science, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Ladkrabang, Bangkok, 10520, Thailand

The sustainable upgrading of biomass-derived furfural (FF) to γ-valerolactone (GVL) via catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) offers a green alternative to conventional hydrogenation routes. Herein, monometallic Cu-BTC, Ni-BTC, and Co-BTC metal–organic framework catalysts were synthesized by a solvothermal method and evaluated for FF conversion. Ni-BTC and Co-BTC outperformed Cu-BTC due to their favorable redox properties and stronger surface acidity, enabling efficient activation of the hydrogen donor and promoting ring-opening and lactonization steps. To further enhance catalytic efficiency, bimetallic NiCo-BTC catalysts with varying Ni/Co ratios were developed. All bimetallic catalysts showed superior performance, with 0.50NiCo-BTC achieving complete FF conversion and a high GVL selectivity and yield of 89% at 200 °C after 24 h. Physicochemical analyses (TEM, XPS, XANES, and NH₃-TPD) revealed that synergistic Ni–Co interactions and enhanced acidity are key factors governing activity. Time-resolved product analysis confirmed a sequential reaction pathway via furfuryl alcohol. The catalyst also exhibited good reusability and structural stability, underscoring the potential of MOF-based catalysts for sustainable biomass valorization.