Abstract
Liquid-phase hydrogenation of a solution of furfural, phenol and acetic acid has been studied in the 50–235°C range over magnetic Ru/Fe3O4-SiO2 catalyst targeting the renewable production of second generation biofuels with minimum hydrogen consumption. Phenol was fully hydrogenated to cyclohexanol in the entire temperature range. Below 150°C, furfural was mainly hydrogenated to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol while hydrogenolysis to cyclopentanol was the main reaction pathway above 200°C. The hydrogenation rate was doubled in an acidic solution (pH=3) as compared to that at a pH6. The spent catalyst was regenerated and reused in subsequent catalytic runs.
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•Magnetically-recoverable Ru/Fe3O4-SiO2 catalysts were studied in liquid hydrogenation of model pyrolysis oil•The optimum reaction temperature was 150°C providing high reaction rates, hydrogenation of corrosive or unstable species and minimum hydrogen consumption•Acidic solution (pH=3) doubled the hydrogenation reaction rate compared to neural solution (pH=6)