Research Progress on Catalysts for the Aqueous-Phase Hydrogenative Rearrangement of Furfural to Cyclopentanone

Abstract

With the increasing depletion of fossil resources, biomass utilization has become one of the key strategies for achieving sustainable development. Biomass, as an abundant renewable carbon source in nature, can be converted into high-value chemicals via catalytic transformation, which holds significant research value. Furfural (FF), as an important biomass-derived platform molecule, can be selectively hydrogenated and ring-rearranged in aqueous phase to produce cyclopentanone (CPO), offering a green and sustainable alternative to the traditional petroleum-based adipic acid pyrolysis route. However, this tandem reaction involves multiple steps, including selective hydrogenation of the C=O bond, ring-opening rearrangement of the furan ring, and dehydration. The core challenge lies in the preparation of efficient catalysts to achieve selective hydrogenation of the C=O bond while suppressing over-hydrogenation of the furan ring, and precisely regulating acidic sites to promote the rearrangement of furfuryl alcohol (FOL) intermediate. This review systematically summarizes recent research progress on catalysts for the one-pot hydrogenation and rearrangement of FF to CPO, with emphasis on the catalytic performance of different metal catalysts, reaction mechanisms, and catalyst design strategies. The roles of acidic sites are also analyzed, providing references for the design of efficient catalytic systems.