Porous SiO2 nanosphere-supported PtCuCo trimetallic nanoparticles for highly efficient and selective furfural hydrogenation

Furfural is one of the most important lignocellulose derivatives in biomass. Its conversion to furfural alcohol (FA) is a great significance for value-added green chemicals. Here, we show that the hydrogenation of furfural over a SiO2 nanosphere-supported PtCuCo alloy catalyst (PtCuCo/SiO2), which exhibits excellent conversion to FA, up to 97.9%, with a selectivity to 95.4%. The superior activity is attributed to the formation of a PtCuCo alloy (Pt-Cu-Co sites) over the high-surface-area mesoporous silica. Structural and chemical characterizations indicate the formation of the PtCuCo alloy nanoparticles (NPs) in the catalyst is highly beneficial to the hydrogenolysis of furfural to produce intermediates, which are further hydrogenated to produce FA, with remarkable selectivity and efficiency.