Low‐Temperature Hydrogenation of Carboxylic Acids to Alcohols over Heterogeneous FeOx‐Modified Ru Catalyst

Abstract

AbstractSelective hydrogenation of carboxylic acids to alcohols is generally difficult due to the low reactivity of the carboxy group, and the development of effective catalysts enabling high yields of the target alcohols at low reaction temperatures (<473 K) is challenging. Herein, we found that SiO2‐supported FeOx‐modified Ru (Ru−FeOx/SiO2) with the Fe/Ru molar ratio of 0.4 was an effective and reusable heterogeneous catalyst for the hydrogenation of carboxylic acids at a low reaction temperature of 413 K, providing the alcohols in high yields (up to 97 %). The addition of Fe species drastically suppressed the hydrogenolysis of the C−C bond of the alkyl chain to methane, leading to high selectivity to the alcohols. Based on the activity tests and catalyst characterizations, Ru metals were covered by the reduced Fe species, such as Fe metal or Fe2+, and the active site is the interface between the Fe species and Ru metals. From the reactivity comparison of the related compounds, the alcohol is synthesized via the formation of the aldehyde, and the reactivity of the alcohol is very low in the presence of carboxylic acids. As a result, the hydrogenolysis of the produced alcohol is suppressed, leading to the high selectivity of the alcohol.