Controlling Catalytic Selectivity via Adsorbate Orientation on the Surface: From Furfural Deoxygenation to Reactions of Epoxides

Specificity to desired reaction products is the key challenge in designing solid catalysts for reactions involving addition or removal of oxygen to/from organic reactants. This challenge is especially acute for reactions involving multifunctional compounds such as biomass-derived aromatic molecules (e.g., furfural) and functional epoxides (e.g., 1-epoxy-3-butene). Recent surface-level studies have shown that there is a relationship between adsorbate surface orientation and reaction selectivity in the hydrogenation pathways of aromatic oxygenates and the ring-opening or ring-closing pathways of epoxides. Control of the orientation of reaction intermediates on catalytic surfaces by modifying the surface or near-surface environment has been shown to be a promising method of affecting catalytic selectivity for reactions of multifunctional molecules. In this Perspective, we review recent model studies aimed at understanding the surface chemistry for these reactions and studies that utilize this insight to rationally design supported catalysts.