A Study of Tetrahydrofurfuryl Alcohol to 1,5-Pentanediol Over Pt–WO x /C

The hydrogenolysis of tetrahydrofurfural alcohol to 1,5-pentanediol was studied over a series of carbon-supported metal/metal-oxide pairs. In agreement with previous reports, specific pairs, especially Pt and Ir paired with WO x , MoO x and ReO x , exhibited high activity and selectivity, even though the individual components were not active or selective. Only reducible oxides produced selective catalysts. A more comprehensive study of the Pt–WO x system indicated that the active form of the catalyst exists as a thin, submonolayer film of the oxide on the Pt surface. This film could be formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD) of W(CO) 6 onto the Pt nanocrystals and STEM–EDS mapping demonstrated that ALD deposition occurred selectively on the Pt. When the catalyst was formed by impregnation of Pt and W salts, the WO x was mobile and able to move onto the Pt. The implications of these result for preparing selective catalysts are discussed. Graphical Abstract