Highly stable and selective Ru/NiFe_2O_4 catalysts for transfer hydrogenation of biomass-derived furfural to 2-methylfuran

Spinel ferrites NiFe₂O₄ supported Ru catalysts have been prepared via a simple sol–gel route and applied for converting biomass-derived furfural to 2-methylfuran. The as-prepared catalysts were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TG), N₂ adsorption–desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results showed that the catalysts had well-dispersed Ru active sites and large surface area for calcination temperature ranging from 300 to 500 °C. The conversion of biomass-derived furfural into 2-methylfuran was conducted over Ru/NiFe₂O₄ through catalytic transfer hydrogenation in liquid-phase with 2-propanol as the hydrogen source. A significantly enhanced activity and increased 2-methylfuran yield have been achieved in this study. Under mild conditions (180 °C and 2.1 MPa N₂), the conversion of furfural exceeds 97% and 2-methylfuran yield was up to 83% over the catalyst containing 8 wt% Ru. After five repeated uses, the catalytic activity and the corresponding product yield remained almost unchanged. The excellent catalytic activity and recycling performance provide a broad prospects for various practical applications.