Reductive Amination of 5-Hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde Over Beta Zeolite-Supported Ruthenium Catalyst

Beta-zeolite supported ruthenium catalysts for reductive amination of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde (HMF) with an aqueous solution of ammonia (NH3 aq.) and molecular hydrogen (H2) are examined to synthesize the corresponding primary amine of 5-aminomethyl-2-furylmethanol (FAA). Various SiO2/Al2O3 (Si/2Al) ratios of the beta-zeolite support were used to prepare the Ru-based catalysts. It was observed that the Si/2Al ratio was contributed to the catalytic activity, and the Si/2Al = 150 of beta-zeolite was found to be the most active for Ru catalyzed reductive amination of HMF, affording ca. 70% yield. Characterization techniques were taken to analysis the factors that influence the reactivity of catalysts, and which revealed that not only the ruthenium nanoparticle size but also the ratio of RuO2 against metallic Ru species were crucial factors for the reactivity of reductive amination of HMF to FAA.