Zhiyuan Song

Production of 2,5-hexanedione and 3-methyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

A novel approach for the production of 2,5-hexanedione (HDN) and 3-methyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one (3-MCO) from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) by water splitting with Zn is reported for the first time. The use of high temperature water (HTW) conditions is the key for the efficient conversion of HMF to HDN and 3-MCO. Parameters regarding the Zn amount, temperature and reaction time are optimized and HDN and 3-MCO are produced in 27.3% and 30.5% yields, respectively. The roles of HTW and ZnO obtained by oxidation of Zn in water for the conversion of HMF, together with intermediate structures, are discussed to understand the mechanism of the reaction.

A nanoporous nickel catalyst for selective hydrogenation of carbonates into formic acid in water

An efficient unsupported nanoporous nickel (NiNPore) material for the hydrogenation of carbonates to formic acid (FA) in water was investigated for the first time. NiNPore is an environmentally benign catalyst and it exhibited remarkable catalytic activity in the reduction of a wide range of carbonates to afford formic acid in excellent yields with high selectivity, and maximum values of 86.6% from NaHCO3 and even up to 92.1% from KHCO3 were obtained. The hydrogen pressure and pKa of the carbonates had a significant influence on the formation of FA. The catalyst was easily recovered and could be recycled at least five times without leaching and loss of activity. The present study demonstrated a potential application for the synthesis of FA from CO2 or carbonate compounds.

Selective hydrogenation of levulinate esters to 1,4-pentanediol using a ternary skeletal CuAlZn catalyst

A non-noble ternary skeletal CuAlZn catalyst was designed for direct hydrogenation of ethyl levulinate (EL) to 1,4-pentanediol (1,4-PDO). 98% yield of 1,4-PDO, which is the highest yield achieved by heterogeneous catalysts so far, was obtained over CuAlZn-3.5 h. Zn in the skeletal alloy was found as a vital promoter for adjusting the selectivity of 1,4-PDO production.