Low-Connectivity Zr-MOF-Confined Pt Nanoparticles for Efficient Furfural Transfer Hydrogenation

Abstract

The efficient transformation of biomass-based furfural into furfuryl alcohol has received substantial attention owing to its extensive applications in the production of high-value-added chemicals. In this work, a hybrid catalytic system, Pt@Zr-SBTD-NH₂, was constructed by immobilizing Pt nanoparticles on low-connectivity Zr-SBTD-NH₂ with abundant acidic-basic sites, including Zr⁴⁺ (Lewis acid), μ₃-OH (Brønsted acid), μ₂-O (Lewis base), and −NH₂ (Brønsted base) sites. This system can promote furfural transfer hydrogenation through multifunctional synergy (metal–support electron transfer and dual-active-site cooperation). The catalyst achieved a high FOL yield of 96.7% through catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) with isopropyl alcohol as a hydrogen donor under mild conditions, demonstrating excellent catalytic performance. The combination of experiments and theoretical calculations suggested potential synergistic interactions between the Zr nodes and Pt nanoparticles. Zr nodes activate isopropyl alcohol via a typical Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley (MPV) mechanism, while Pt nanoparticles facilitate proton transfer. This cooperative role can enable efficient bifunctional catalysis.