Ru/HZSM-5 as an efficient and recyclable catalyst for reductive amination of furfural to furfurylamine

Furfurylamine converted from biomass-based platform molecules furfural was proven a significant intermediate in the synthesis of different valuable compounds. The combination of Ruthenium with HZSM-5 was acted as an excellent selective and reusable catalyst for the reduction amination of furfural with environmentally friendly ammonia and hydrogen. Incorporation of Ru species into HZSM-5 had a significant enhancement to the acid sites of Ru/HZSM-5. The Ru/HZSM-5(46) catalyst with optimized acid sites and interaction of the Ru-O-Al bond displayed an excellent catalytic performance, producing 76 % yield of furfurylamine at only 15 min, and could be recycled five times without loss of performance. Synergistic effect between RuO2 and metallic Ru in the Ru/HZSM-5 catalyst facilitated the reduction amination of furfural.