Promotion effect of Ce or Zn oxides for improving furfuryl alcohol yield in the furfural hydrogenation using inexpensive Cu-based catalysts

Kerolite/Mg-smectite mixed layer was used as inexpensive material to support metallic copper, with metal loadings (5–30 wt.%). These catalysts are active in gas-phase furfural hydrogenation, maintaining conversion values higher than 80 mol%, at 210 °C, after 5 h of time-on-stream, with high copper loading (15–30 wt.% Cu) catalysts, being furfuryl alcohol and 2-methylfuran the only detected products. The incorporation of Ce and Zn as promoters...