TRANSFER HYDROGENATION OF FURFURAL TO FURFURYL ALCOHOL OVER RANEY NICKEL CATALYST

• Main Author: KURNIAWAN (NIM: 20514034), ENGGAH
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/26940
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

<p align ="justify">Transfer hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol (FA) was catalysed by Raney Nickel (RaNi) using formic acid as hydrogen donor. RaNi was prepared through two steps i.e., (1) synthesis of Ni-Al alloy by hydrothermal method, (2) the leaching process of Al from Ni-Al alloy by NaOH. XRD characterisations confirmed the formation of Ni-Al and RaNi. RaNi showed a better catalytic acitivity compared to other employed catalysts (ZrP, RaNi/ZrP and Ni-Al). The conversion of furfural and the FA selectivity obtained at 150 °C with furfural/formic acid ratio of 1:1 were 77% and 66% respectively. Theoretical study in previous report has indicated that FA was possibly formed when furfural was adsorbed in perpendicular geometry to the surface of the catalyst. The report also showed that energetically, perpendicular adsorption was more favourable than the parallel one. The furfural conversion and selectivity towards THFA increase as the temperature increases. However, the FA selectivity decreases as the temperature increases. This phenomenon was lead by the fact that higher temperature facilitates the furfural to be adsorbed in parallel geometry, hence the C=C bond in furan ring can be hydrogenated. The graph of THFA and time, indicated that THFA was found only after the formation of FA. Therefore, THFA was predicted to be the product of FA hydrogenation. The catalytic activity of RaNi was not proportional to the concentration of formic acid. The formic acid became dominantly adsorbed on catalyst at high concentration resulting in ineffective transfer hydrogenation. Transfer hydrogenation of furfural was predicted to be the first order towards furfural, with activation energy (Ea) of 46 kJmol-1.<p align ="justify">