Effect of surface properties of TiO2 on the performance of Pt/TiO2 catalysts for furfural hydrogenation

Hydrogenation of biomass-derived furfural is an important process in biofuel production. Herein, different Pt-supported TiO₂ morphologies: nanorod (NR), nanoparticle (NP), and hollow microsphere (HMS) were prepared by the impregnation–chemical reduction method. The furfural conversion increased with an increase of Pt dispersion. However, cyclopentanone selectivity was affected by TiO₂ properties, the strong metal–support interaction (SMSI) effect, and the reaction conditions. The Pt/TiO₂ NR catalyst exhibited the highest cyclopentanone selectivity of 50.4%. Based on the H₂-temperature programmed desorption (H₂-TPD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results, the Pt/TiO₂ NR catalyst showed a SMSI effect, which was introduced by the chemical reduction method. We suggest that electron charge transfer from Ti species to Pt in the Pt/TiO₂ NR catalyst affects the cyclopentanone selectivity by controlling the adsorption strength between the reactant and the Pt surface, thus retarding the formation of byproducts.

Hydrogenation of biomass-derived furfural is an important process in biofuel production.