Furfural selective hydrogenation at low temperature: Enhancing catalytic performance via Pt-Co synergistic effect

In this study, Nd 2 O 3 nanorods are prepared via a hydrothermal synthesis method followed by high-temperature calcination. Subsequently, the PtCo bimetallic alloy nanoparticles are constructed on Nd 2 O 3 using a sodium borohydride reduction strategy. Systematic characterization and catalytic performance evaluation demonstrate that the PtCo/Nd 2 O 3 catalyst exhibits significantly enhanced performance for furfural selective hydrogenation compared to the corresponding monometallic catalysts (Pt/Nd 2 O 3 and Co/Nd 2 O 3 ). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization confirms that the introduction of Co induces a significant increase in the electron density of the Pt active sites, with evident electron transfer occurring between Pt and Co (Co → Pt). This bimetallic electron synergistic effect not only enhances the intrinsic catalytic activity of the Pt sites but also significantly improves the catalyst's ability to adsorb and dissociate H 2 molecules, resulting in a significant reduction of the activation energy of the reaction (by 74.15 %). Benefiting from this electronic effect modulation, the PtCo/Nd 2 O 3 catalyst achieves the furfural conversion of 95.5 % and maintains a furfuryl alcohol selectivity of 99.9 % under mild reaction conditions (20 °C, 3.0 MPa H 2 , 8 h), demonstrating excellent low-temperature catalytic hydrogenation performance. This work provides unique insights into the design of highly efficient and selective bimetallic catalysts through the modulation of electronic structure. • PtCo/Nd 2 O 3 et al. are synthesized by hydrothermal and liquid phase reduction. • PtCo/Nd 2 O 3 shows excellent catalytic property for furfural selective hydrogenation. • PtCo/Nd 2 O 3 has obvious advantages in improving TOF and reducing activation energy. • PtCo/Nd 2 O 3 exhibits significant increase in hydrogen adsorption/activation capacity. • Electronic synergy effect (Co.→Pt) largely enhances catalytic property of PtCo/Nd 2 O 3