Hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-dimethylfuran via synergistic catalysis of Ni2In and acid-base sites

Conversion of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to high-value-added chemicals is widely acknowledged as a flexible connection between biomass resources and chemical industries. Hydrogenation of HMF to 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) is denoted as environmentally sustainable but substantially challenging biomass utilization. Here, we reported an efficient and stable Ni2In/MgO-Al2O3 catalyst for the hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis of HMF to DMF. The Ni2In/MgO-Al2O3 catalyst delivered a 93.2 % DMF yield and exhibited excellent stability and reusability during the recycling test. Characterization and theoretical calculations reveal that the inactive indium geometrically isolates the active sites and modulates the electronic structure of Ni, leading to preferential C--O hydrogenation and C-OH hydrogenolysis. Furthermore, acid-base sites and Ni2In in Ni2In/MgO-Al2O3 synergistically catalyze the hydrogenation-hydrogenolysis process of HMF to DMF. The Ni2In-acid-base sites synergistic catalysis mechanism provides a novel strategy for the rational design of efficient hydrogenation-hydrogenolysis catalysts.