The dehydroxymethylation of primary alcohols is a promising strategy to transform biomass‐derived oxygenates into hydrocarbon fuels. In this study, a novel, highly efficient, and reusable heterogeneous catalyst system was established for the H2‐free dehydroxymethylation of primary alcohol using cerium oxide‐supported palladium nanoparticles (Pd/CeO2). A wide range of aliphatic and aromatic alcohols including biomass‐derived alcohols were converted into the corresponding one‐carbon shorter hydrocarbons in high yields in the absence of any additives, accompanied by the production of H2 and CO. Pd/CeO2 was easily recovered from the reaction mixture and reused, retaining its high activity, thus, providing a simple and sustainable methodology to produce hydrocarbon fuels from biomass‐derived oxygenates.
The Cover Feature shows the generation of furan from furfuryl alcohol as a biomass‐derived chemical feedstock with H2 and CO using a CeO2‐supported Pd nanoparticle catalyst under air. In their Communication, S. Yamaguchi et al. demonstrate a promising strategy for the transformation of various aliphatic and aromatic primary alcohols into the corresponding one‐carbon shorter hydrocarbons in high yields without any additives. These results show that the Pd nanoparticles on partially reduced CeO2 surface play a decisive role in the high catalytic activity and selectivity under air. More information can be found in the Communication by S. Yamaguchi et al.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.