Selectively cleaving the CO bond outside the furan ring of furfural is crucial for converting this important biomass-derived molecule to value-added fuels such as 2-methylfuran. In this work, a combination of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, surface science studies, and reactor evaluation identified molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) as a highly selective deoxygenation catalyst for converting furfural to 2-methylfuran. ..
2-Methylfuran is a flammable, water-insoluble liquid with a chocolate odor, found naturally in Myrtle and Dutch Lavender used as a FEMA GRAS flavoring substance, with the potential for use in alternative fuels (wikipedia.org).
It is also used as a basis for the synthesis of many pharmaceutical, agricultural and industrial chemicals (dalinyebo.com/platformchemical)
See on onlinelibrary.wiley.com, via Scoop.it – Furfural and its many By-products
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