Selective hydrogenation of levulinate esters to 1,4-pentanediol using a ternary skeletal CuAlZn catalyst

Abstract

A non-noble ternary skeletal CuAlZn catalyst was designed for direct hydrogenation of ethyl levulinate (EL) to 1,4-pentanediol (1,4-PDO). 98% yield of 1,4-PDO, which is the highest yield achieved by heterogeneous catalysts so far, was obtained over CuAlZn-3.5 h. Zn in the skeletal alloy was found as a vital promoter for adjusting the selectivity of 1,4-PDO production.