2,5-Dimethyltetrahydrofuran (DMTHF) is deoxygenated to n-hexane with >99% selectivity at mild conditions (90 °C, 1 bar H2 pressure, fixed-bed reactor) in the presence of the bifunctional metal-acid catalyst Pt-CsPW comprising Pt and Cs2.5H0.5PW12O40 (CsPW), an acidic Cs salt of Keggin-type heteropoly acid H3PW12O40. Addition of gold to the Pt-CsPW catalyst increases the turnover rate at Pt sites more than twofold, whereas the Au alone without Pt is not active. The enhancement of catalyst activity is attributed to PtAu alloying, which is supported by STEM-EDX and XRD analysis.
This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.