Nickel oxide nanocatalyst supported on carbon nitride for the conversion of furfural to furfuryl alcohol

In modern catalysis, there is a growing demand for new, efficient, and sustainable materials for the conversion of both petroleum derivatives and renewable platform molecules. Aiming to combine the high dispersion and selectivity of active sites—characteristics of homogeneous catalysis—with the stability and reusability of heterogeneous systems, research is focused on the application of highly dispersed transition metals coordinated to well-structured supports for the synthesis of new catalysts. In this context, this work describes the development of a catalyst based on nickel oxide coordinated to a carbon nitride (g-C3N4) support for the conversion of furfural (FUR)—derived from lignocellulosic biomass—into furfuryl alcohol (FA), a versatile, high-value-added precursor in the fine chemical industry for the production of resins and biopolymers.