Intensifying Cyclopentanone Synthesis from Furfural Using Supported Copper Catalysts.

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Catalysis
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Cyclopentanone (CPO) is a valuable bio-based platform chemical and a potential precursor for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
• Efficient synthesis of CPO from furfural is crucial for its industrial application.
• Current single-step catalytic hydrogenation methods face limitations in CPO yield due to side reactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a catalytic strategy for intensified synthesis of cyclopentanone (CPO) from furfural in aqueous media.
• To overcome limitations of single-step processes by employing a two-step catalytic approach.
• To improve CPO yield and minimize byproduct formation through tailored reaction conditions and catalyst configurations.

Main Methods:

• Investigated copper-catalyzed furfural hydrogenation in aqueous media using single-step (uniform and staged beds) and two-step configurations.
• Evaluated the impact of temperature, hydrogen pressure, and residence time on CPO yield.
• Employed tandem catalysis, combining β-zeolite and Cu/ZrO2, in the second step of the two-step process.

Main Results:

• Single-step processes required harsh conditions (180°C, 38 bar) yielding 37-49% CPO.
• Furanic ring hydrogenation and furfuryl alcohol (FFA) polymerization were identified as yield-limiting side reactions.
• The two-step strategy, with optimized milder conditions (150°C, 7 bar) for initial hydrogenation and subsequent tandem catalysis, achieved a 60% CPO yield.

Conclusions:

• A split, two-step catalytic strategy is recommended for efficient CPO production from furfural.
• This modular approach effectively suppresses side reactions, leading to significantly improved CPO yields.
• The optimized process offers a pathway for flexible production of CPO to meet market demands.