The direct one-pot conversion of furfural to 2-methyltetrahydrofuran
(2-MTHF) was investigated in liquid phases using H2 as
a hydrogen source over a bimetallic Cu–Pd/HY catalyst. This
catalyst showed excellent catalytic reactivity toward the formation
of 2-MTHF with a yield of 83.1% under optimized reaction conditions.
By adjusting the Cu/Pd ratio in the catalyst, the desired product
could be obtained selectively. This was due to (1) selective catalysis
of Cu toward C=O bonds in furfural, (2) excellent hydrogenation ability
of Pd, and (3) the synergistic effects between Cu, Pd, and the acidic
sites of the support HY. The influences of other parameters on conversion
and selectivity were also investigated. Mechanism studies revealed
that reactions mainly perform through the hydrogenation of furfural
to furfuryl alcohol and then hydrodeoxygenation to 2-methylfuran followed
by furan ring hydrogenation to 2-MTHF. Finally, after five recycling
runs, this catalyst still displayed high catalytic behavior and stability,
which provided a certain foundation for future research of furfural
catalytic hydrogenation to 2-MTHF.