Catalytic Hydrogenation of Succinic Acid Using Materials of Fe/CeO2, 2, Cu/CeO2 2 and Fe-Cu/CeO2 2

The hydrogenation reaction of succinic acid in the liquid phase was studied using the supported metal catalysts, Fe/CeO2, 2 , Cu/CeO2, 2 , and Fe-Cu/CeO2. 2 . The CeO2 2 support was prepared by precipitation method and the supported metal solids by dry impregnation of support. For monometallic solids, a percentage of iron and copper of 10 wt.%, respectively, was considered. For the bimetallic solid, the metal content was 5 wt.% of each metal. The catalysts were characterized using atomic absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, nitrogen physisorption, and infrared spectroscopy techniques. The evaluation of the catalytic activity showed that the catalysts favor the formation of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), with the Cu/CeO2 2 system presenting the highest percentages of conversion of succinic acid and yield towards GHB. This catalytic behavior could be related to the smaller crystallite size and the greater surface area evidenced in the material compared to the other catalysts studied. Furthermore, the results obtained using the bimetallic material evidenced the role of iron as a promoter for obtaining gamma-butyrolactone (GBL).