大気圧水素下でバイオマス由来フラン類の水素化反応を促進～安価な非貴金属を基盤とする高機能性触媒を開発～

2025-05-21 大阪大学,神戸大学科学技術振興機構

図 1. (a)開発した酸化アルミニウム担持炭化ニッケルナノ粒子触媒(Ni3C NPs/Al2O3)の写真, (b)電子顕微鏡像(黒い粒子が炭化ニッケルナノ粒子), (c)Ni3C NPs/Al2O3を用いた常圧水素下におけるフルフラール液相水素化反応.

＜関連情報＞

• https://www.jst.go.jp/pr/announce/20250521/index.html
• https://www.jst.go.jp/pr/announce/20250521/pdf/20250521.pdf
• https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c01806

酸化アルミニウム担持炭化ニッケルナノ粒子触媒を用いたフルフラールおよびその誘導体のテトラヒドロフルフリル化合物への穏和かつ選択的水素化反応 Mild and Selective Hydrogenation of Furfural and Its Derivatives to Tetrahydrofurfuryl Compounds Catalyzed by Aluminum Oxide-supported Nickel Carbide Nanoparticles

Taiki Kawakami,Sho Yamaguchi,Satoshi Suganuma,Kiyotaka Nakajima,Takato Mitsudome,and Tomoo Mizugaki
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering  Published: May 20, 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c01806

Abstract

The hydrogenation of furfural (FUR), a representative lignocellulosic biomass-derived furanic compound, is a promising method for synthesizing tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA), which is used as a solvent and pharmaceutical intermediate. Significant efforts have been made to develop non-precious metal catalysts for the hydrogenation of FUR to THFA; however, these systems typically require harsh reaction conditions, such as high hydrogen pressure. In this study, we found that aluminum oxide-supported nickel carbide nanoparticles (Ni₃C NPs/Al₂O₃) function as a highly active non-precious metal catalyst for the selective hydrogenation of FUR and its derivatives into the corresponding tetrahydrofuran derivatives with high yields. Notably, Ni₃C NPs/Al₂O₃ enables the hydrogenation of FUR to THFA with over 90% yield even at 0.1 MPa of H₂. The Ni₃C NPs/Al₂O₃ catalyst also demonstrated effectiveness in gram–scale reactions. Control experiments and structural characterizations revealed its unique catalytic properties: polar hydrogen species formed on the Ni₃C NPs surface efficiently reduce the aldehyde moiety of FUR, while cooperative effect at the Ni₃C NPs–Al₂O₃ interface is essential to promoting the hydrogenation of a furan ring. These properties significantly enhance the catalytic performance of Ni₃C NPs/Al₂O₃.