Highly active Ir/SiC catalyst for aqueous hydrogenation of levulinic acid to γ-valerolactone

Abstract

A 3 wt% Ir/SiC catalyst prepared by the wet impregnation method showed excellent catalytic activity and stability for the aqueous hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA) to γ-valerolactone (GVL) in a batch reactor system. LA was completely converted to GVL at 50 °C and 0.2 MPa of H2 pressure with 100% selectivity and a high turnover frequency (TOF) of 333 h−1. The high activity of Ir/SiC catalyst could be related to the Schottky-type contact between Ir and SiC solid phases, which promotes electron transfer between support and metal. Due to the excellent acid resistance of SiC support, the Ir/SiC catalyst showed high catalytic stability and nearly no loss of activity after 5 consecutive catalytic operation cycles.