Selective catalytic hydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural over silica supported FeCoNiCuRu high-entropy alloy nanoparticles

Abstract

A silica supported FeCoNiCuRu high-entropy alloy (HEA) nanoparticle catalyst was prepared using a simple organic ligand chelate assisted thermal-reduction method. The organic ligand tannin is utilized to chelate Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Ru, facilitating the formation of HEAs with a homogeneous distribution of metal elements. The FeCoNiCuRu HEA nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed on the silica with an average size of approximately 17 nm. The formation of the HEA significantly enhances electron transfer among the individual metals within the silica supported FeCoNiCuRu catalysts. The silica supported FeCoNiCuRu HEA nanoparticle catalysts demonstrate superior hydrogenation performance for selective hydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, in comparison to both silica supported monometallic catalysts and their mixture. This simple organic ligand chelate assisted thermal-reduction method provides a universal strategy for generating HEA catalysts with uniform dispersion for a wide range of catalysis applications.