Rational design for the fabrication of bulk NiSn alloy catalysts for the synthesis of 1,4-pentanediol from biomass-derived furfural without acidic co-catalysts.

This study describes the rational design for the fabrication of bulk NiSn alloy catalysts for the de/hydration-hydrogenation of biomass-derived furfural (FFald) to 1,4-pentanediol (1,4-PeD) without the acidic co-catalyst. The presence of both hydration active sites (Brønsted acid sites (Ni-SnO)) and hydrogenation active sites (Ni or Ni-Sn alloy) in NiSn alloy could be controlled by changing the pH of Ni-Sn solution during the preparation. Both active sites acted synergistically to catalyse the de/hydration-hydrogenation reactions of FFald to produce a high yield of 1,4-PeD in a batch reaction system at 433 K, 3.