Oxidation of furfural: analysis of copper-modified catalytic materials

Abstract

3% w/w copper was incorporated into microporous zeolites Y y ZSM-5, hierarchical zeolite ZSM-5 and nanostructured alumina, to evaluate the catalytic behavior in the oxidation of furfural with hydrogen peroxide. It was observed that substantial changes in the acidity and porosity of the catalysts result in minor variations in the yield of the desired products. In addition, operating variables such as temperature, oxidant concentration and catalyst amount were studied, noting that increasing these favors over-oxidation.