Hydrogenation of succinic acid to γ-butyrolactone and 1,4-butanediol over mesoporous rhenium-copper-carbon composite catalyst

A mesoporous rhenium-copper-carbon composite catalyst (Re-Cu-MC) was prepared by a facile singlestep surfactant-templating method. For comparison, a series of mesoporous carbon-supported catalysts (Re/Cu-MC, Cu/Re-MC, and Re-Cu/MC) were also prepared. The catalysts were applied to the liquid-phase hydrogenation of succinic acid to gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) and 1,4-butanediol (BOO). The effect of preparation method on the physicochemical properties and catalytic activities of the catalysts was investigated. It was found that the catalysts based on metal-carbon composite (Re-Cu-MC, Re/Cu-MC, and Cu/Re-MC) were favorable for enhancing textural properties and metal-support interaction of the catalysts. Surface atomic ratios of metal species (Re/C and Cu/C) on the catalyst surface increased with increasing metal-support interaction. Yield for GBL and BDO increased with decreasing average metal particle size of the catalysts. It was revealed that metal particle size of the catalysts served as a key factor determining the catalytic activity and stability in the reaction. Among the catalysts tested, Re-Cu-MC catalyst with the smallest average metal particle size showed the best catalytic performance in the hydrogenation of succinic acid to GBL and BDO. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.