The selective hydrogenolysis of furfuryl alcohol (FFA) to 1,2-pentanediol (1,2-PeD) represents a promising route for biomass valorization, yet it remains challenging due to the competing over-hydrogenation of the furan ring and the recalcitrant C5-O bond cleavage. Herein, we report a highly efficient bimetallic Pt-Y catalyst supported on a MgO-AlO(OH) mixed oxide (MAO) that enables the selective hydrogenolysis of FFA to 1,2-PeD under remarkably mild conditions (140 °C, 0.8 MPa H2). Structural characterizations (AC-HAADF-STEM, XPS) confirm the formation of Pt-Y mixed clusters, which induce electron transfer from Pt to Y. This electronic modulation, combined with the tailored basicity of the MAO support, effectively suppresses the over-hydrogenation pathway while promoting the activation of the target C-O bond. In situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy shows that after the introduction of Y, FFA adsorbs on the catalyst surface in a vertical adsorption configuration through its O-H and C-O-C bonds, promoting the selective ring-opening. Consequently, the optimized 0.75Pt0.45Y/MAO catalyst achieves complete FFA conversion with an exceptional 1,2-PeD selectivity of 80.3% (110 mol 1,2-PeD·mol Pt per h), significantly outperforming its monometallic counterparts. Furthermore, the catalyst demonstrates outstanding stability in a continuous-flow reactor for over 200 hours without obvious deactivation. This work provides a strategy for designing synergistic bimetallic catalysts for the sustainable production of 1,2-PeD under mild conditions.
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