Selective transfer hydrogenation of furfural under continuous flow conditions promoted by the recoverable homogeneous Shvo's catalyst†

Abstract

The continuous-flow application of the homogeneous Shvo's catalyst for the selective transfer hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol, utilizing biobased 2-methyltetrahydrofuran as the reaction medium and 2-propanol as a stoichiometric hydrogen donor is reported for the first time. The homogeneous catalyst demonstrated excellent recyclability, maintaining high performance over at least five consecutive reaction cycles. This process represents an efficient and waste-minimized strategy for the reductive catalytic valorization of biomass-derived furfural under continuous-flow conditions, as validated by a comprehensive green metrics assessment.