The synthesis of 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a highly attractive route to a renewable fuel. However, achieving high yields in this reaction is a substantial challenge. Here it is described how PtCo bimetallic nanoparticles with diameters of 3.6 ± 0.7 nm can solve this problem. Over PtCo catalysts the conversion of HMF was 100% within 10 min and the yield to DMF reached 98% after 2 h, which substantially exceeds the best results reported in the literature. Moreover, the synthetic method can be generalized to other bimetallic nanoparticles encapsulated in hollow carbon spheres.
Cellulose is both insoluble in water and resistant against hydrolysis. These features pose major problems for its conversion into platform chemicals. Herein, we demonstrate that mechanocatalytic, solid-state depolymerization combined with hydrogenolysis, in the presence of Ru/C in water, provides a highly efficient pathway for the production of sugar alcohols. This novel approach leads to yields of hexitols up to 94% at 150 degrees C in an overall process time of 4 h
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