Ru/hydroxyapatite as a dual-functional catalyst for efficient transfer hydrogenolytic cleavage of aromatic ether bonds without additional bases

Cleavage of aromatic ether bonds is a key step for lignin valorization, and the development of novel heterogeneous catalysts with high activity is crucial. Herein, bifunctional Ru/hydroxyapatite has been prepared via ion exchange and subsequent reduction. The obtained Ru/hydroxyapatite could efficiently catalyze the cleavage of various compounds containing aromatic ether bonds via transfer hydrogenolysis without additional bases. Systematic studies indicated that the basic nature of hydroxyapatite and electron-enriched Ru sites resulted in the high activity of the catalyst. A mechanism study revealed that the direct cleavage of aromatic ether bonds was the main reaction pathway.