Authors: Maderuelo-Solera, R; Lopez-Asensio, R; Cecilia, JA; Jimenez-Gomez, CP; Garcia-Sancho, C; Moreno-Tost, R; Maireles-Torres, P

Article.
Appl. Clay Sci.. vol: 183. page: 0169-1317.
Date: DEC 15. 2019.
Doi: 10.1016/j.clay.2019.105351.

Abstract:
Catalytic transfer hydrogenation is an alternative catalytic approach for the reduction of carbonyl groups, instead of the use of dihydrogen gas. In this sense, a series of catalysts has been prepared by thermal treatment of layered double hydroxides, hydrotalcite type, of Mg(II) and Fe(III), with different Mg/Fe molar ratios. The resulting mixture of metal oxides was characterized by X-ray diffraction, TEM, N-2 adsorption-desorption, CO2-TPD, NH3-TPD and XPS, and then catalysts were tested in the Meenwein-Ponndorf-Verley (MPV) reduction of furfural to obtain furfuryl alcohol. The catalytic results show that the catalyst with a Mg/Fe molar ratio of 3 allows reaching the highest furfural conversion at a lower reaction time, with a FOL yield close to 90% after 6 h of reaction at 443 K. The detailed analysis of these catalysts also revealed that the basicity plays a more predominant role in the MPV reaction than acid sites..