# US 11,306,065 B1 · Catalyst compositions for conversion of furfural to 2-methylfuran and their applications

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,306,065 B1
- Document ID: US11306065B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 16/703,817
- Filed: 2019-12-04
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2018-12-04
- Applicants: Advanced Energy Materials, LLC
- Inventors: Mahendra Sunkara; Sivakumar Vasireddy; Juan He; Hugo Apolo Nambo Salgado
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306065B1

## CPC

- C07D 307/36: with only hydrogen atoms or radicals containing only hydrogen and carbon atoms, directly attached to ring carbon atoms
- B01J 21/005: {Spinels}
- B01J 23/72: Copper
- B01J 23/745: Iron
- B01J 23/75: Cobalt
- B01J 23/825: with gallium, indium or thallium
- B01J 35/612: {less than 10 m2/g}
- B01J 35/613: {10-100 m2/g}
- B01J 37/0226: {Oxidation of the substrate, e.g. anodisation}
- B01J 37/12: Oxidising
- B01J 37/341: {making use of electric or magnetic fields, wave energy or particle radiation (use of flames, plasma or lasers B01J37/349)}
- B01J 37/349: {making use of flames, plasmas or lasers}
- B01J 21/063: {Titanium; Oxides or hydroxides thereof}
- B01J 23/06: of zinc, cadmium or mercury
- B01J 23/80: with zinc, cadmium or mercury
- B01J 23/835: with germanium, tin or lead
- B01J 35/45: Nanoparticles
- B01J 35/50: characterised by their shape or configuration
- B01J 2219/00029: Batch processes
- B01J 2219/00033: Continuous processes
- B01J 2235/00: Indexing scheme associated with group B01J35/00, related to the analysis techniques used to determine the catalysts form or properties
- B01J 2235/15: X-ray diffraction
- B01J 2235/30: Scanning electron microscopy; Transmission electron microscopy
- B01J 2523/00: Constitutive chemical elements of heterogeneous catalysts
- C07D: HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS (macromolecular compounds C08)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS

## Abstract

The present development is a method for the selective conversion of furfural to 2-methylfuran (2-MF) using a catalyst comprising non-toxic and non-noble metals and wherein the method requires relatively mild processing conditions. The catalyst comprises copper metal particles, used alone or in combination with cobalt, nickel, manganese, ruthenium, gallium, zinc, aluminum or a combination thereof, on a nanowire support. The catalyst is stable in liquid phase reactions and in the presence of water. The present development also includes a process for producing the catalyst.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for the selective conversion of furfural to 2-methylfuran (2-MF) comprising:
(a) providing a catalyst comprising copper metal particles and a metal oxide nanowire support wherein the catalyst is formed by plasma oxidation of a paste formed by mixing precursors of the copper metal particles with the metal oxide nanowire support;
(b) loading a reactor with the catalyst;
(c) reducing the catalyst;
(d) cooling the reactor to room temperature;
(e) feeding a hydrogen source and furfural into the reactor;
(f) heating the reactor to a predetermined temperature between 180° C. and 250° C.;
(g) pressuring the reactor to a predetermined pressure of less than 300 psi;
(h) allowing the furfural to react with the hydrogen source in the presence of the catalyst for a reaction time of less than 12 hours; and,
(i) recovering 2-methylfuran from the reactor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the catalyst further comprises active metal particles selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, manganese, gallium, ruthenium, zinc, aluminum and combinations thereof, and wherein precursors of the active metal particles are mixed with the precursors of the copper metal particles and with the metal oxide nanowire support to form the paste.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the metal oxide nanowire support comprises titanium oxide, zinc oxide, iron oxide, tin oxide, alumina or a combination thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the metal oxide nanowire support comprises titanium oxide, zinc oxide, iron oxide, tin oxide, alumina or a combination thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen source is hydrogen gas or cyclohexane or isopropanol.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the reaction pressure is between 8 psi and 100 psi.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the reaction uses a continuous mode fixed bed reactor or batch mode continuous stirred tank reactor.

### Claim 8

A method for the selective conversion of furfural to 2-methylfuran (2-MF) comprising:
(a) providing a catalyst having a composition CuxMyN1-x-yO wherein M=Co, Mn, Ni and N=Zn, Al and x=0-0.5 and y=0-0.5;
(b) loading a reactor with the catalyst;
(c) reducing the catalyst;
(d) cooling the reactor to room temperature;
(e) feeding a hydrogen source and furfural into the reactor;
(f) heating the reactor to a predetermined temperature between 180° C. and 250° C.;
(g) pressuring the reactor to a predetermined pressure of less than 300 psi;
(h) allowing the furfural to react with the hydrogen source in the presence of the catalyst for a reaction time of less than 12 hours; and,
(i) recovering 2-methylfuran from the reactor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the catalyst is prepared by plasma spray pyrolysis.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 wherein the catalyst is mixed with metal oxide nanowires selected from the group consisting of TiO2, ZnO, SnO2, Al2O3, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the reaction uses a continuous mode fixed bed reactor or batch mode continuous stirred tank reactor.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the hydrogen source is hydrogen gas or cyclohexane or isopropanol.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the reaction pressure is between 8 psi and 100 psi.