N-doped carbon layer-coated Au nanocatalyst for H2-free conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 5-methylfurfural

Deoxygenative upgrading of 5-hydromethylfurfural (HMF) into valuable chemicals has attracted intensive research interest in recent years, with product selectivity control remaining an important topic. Herein, TiO2 supported gold catalysts coated a thin N-doped porous carbon (NPC) layer were developed via polydopamine-coating-carbonization strategy and utilized for pathway-specific conversion HMF 5-methylfurfural (5-MF) the use renewable formic acid (FA) as deoxygenation reagent. The as-fabricated Au/TiO2@NPC exhibited excellent catalytic performance high yield 5-MF (>95%). behavior [email protected] was shown to be correlated suitable combination highly dispersed Au nanoparticles favorable interfacial interactions core-shell hetero-nanoarchitectures, thereby facilitating preferential esterification FA suppressing unproductive dehydrogenation, which promoted selective formylation/decarboxylation hydroxy-methyl group manner. present NPC/metal engineering may provide potential guide rational design advanced wide variety heterogeneous catalysis processes terms biomass source.