630
catalysts have also been broadly studied, and some of them had successfully been
used in chemical industries [35]. Recently, the author reported that the research
interest drastically increases toward the single-site heterogeneous catalysts on
atomic and/or molecular scales [35]. In these catalysts, the active sites are spatially
separated from other active sites and uniformly spread over a large surface area of
another component, and each site has the same energy of interaction between the
site and incoming reactants. A suitable component not only affords a high specific
surface area to stabilize small nanoparticles in the durable catalysis but also reduces
hybrid intersections with rich redox reactions on two-phase interface [36].
Additionally, most general techniques for the synthesis of various metal-based
nanocomposite materials are listed below:
• Spray pyrolysis.
• Liquid metal infiltration.
• Rapid solidification.
• Vapor techniques (PVD, CVD).
• Electrodeposition.
• High-energy ball milling.
• Chemical methods.
Table 2 shows the various metal-based nanocomposite materials that were prepared by different methodologies with their advantages and limitations. These
meta-based nanocomposites are very attractive catalysts for selective transformation of the various transformations, which are mainly due to the controllable integration of the different materials between the noble and non-noble metals (e.g., Ru,
Au, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ni, Fe, etc.) and metal oxides including TiO 2 , CeO 2 , ZrO 2 , SnO 2 ,
Al 2 O 3 , MgO, Fe 2 O 3 , etc. into single nanostructures has recently considered as attractive research topic. They not only mix the function of individual components but
also get more unique collective and synergetic catalytic physicochemical properties
when compared to that of single-component materials. Usually, these nanocomposite catalysts are easily synthesized using chemical methodologies such as sol-gel,
colloidal, impregnation, coprecipitation, deposition-precipitation, etc. [17, 26, 27,
37–43]. To design high-performance catalysts, there are several many approaches
that have been taken and generally classified into four categories based on earlier
reports [36]:
• Confinement of metal NPs into microporous and mesoporous supports.
• Modification of the supports.
• Replacement of mono-component metal NPs with alloy NPs.
• Encapsulation of metal NPs into supports with a core-shell structure.
In this chapter, we discuss different catalytic processes for the transformation of
furanic compounds into biofuels and value-added chemicals over a variety of nanocomposite (metal-metal oxide, mixed metal oxide, and their combination) materials
as heterogeneous catalysts. Furthermore, describe the different strategies for
upgrading HMF and FUR to liquid biofuels and valuable chemicals from various
catalytic reactions, such as hydrogenation, oxidation, condensation, amination, and
its reaction mechanisms.
M. Baithy et al.
catalysts have also been broadly studied, and some of them had successfully been
used in chemical industries [35]. Recently, the author reported that the research
interest drastically increases toward the single-site heterogeneous catalysts on
atomic and/or molecular scales [35]. In these catalysts, the active sites are spatially
separated from other active sites and uniformly spread over a large surface area of
another component, and each site has the same energy of interaction between the
site and incoming reactants. A suitable component not only affords a high specific
surface area to stabilize small nanoparticles in the durable catalysis but also reduces
hybrid intersections with rich redox reactions on two-phase interface [36].
Additionally, most general techniques for the synthesis of various metal-based
nanocomposite materials are listed below:
• Spray pyrolysis.
• Liquid metal infiltration.
• Rapid solidification.
• Vapor techniques (PVD, CVD).
• Electrodeposition.
• High-energy ball milling.
• Chemical methods.
Table 2 shows the various metal-based nanocomposite materials that were prepared by different methodologies with their advantages and limitations. These
meta-based nanocomposites are very attractive catalysts for selective transformation of the various transformations, which are mainly due to the controllable integration of the different materials between the noble and non-noble metals (e.g., Ru,
Au, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ni, Fe, etc.) and metal oxides including TiO 2 , CeO 2 , ZrO 2 , SnO 2 ,
Al 2 O 3 , MgO, Fe 2 O 3 , etc. into single nanostructures has recently considered as attractive research topic. They not only mix the function of individual components but
also get more unique collective and synergetic catalytic physicochemical properties
when compared to that of single-component materials. Usually, these nanocomposite catalysts are easily synthesized using chemical methodologies such as sol-gel,
colloidal, impregnation, coprecipitation, deposition-precipitation, etc. [17, 26, 27,
37–43]. To design high-performance catalysts, there are several many approaches
that have been taken and generally classified into four categories based on earlier
reports [36]:
• Confinement of metal NPs into microporous and mesoporous supports.
• Modification of the supports.
• Replacement of mono-component metal NPs with alloy NPs.
• Encapsulation of metal NPs into supports with a core-shell structure.
In this chapter, we discuss different catalytic processes for the transformation of
furanic compounds into biofuels and value-added chemicals over a variety of nanocomposite (metal-metal oxide, mixed metal oxide, and their combination) materials
as heterogeneous catalysts. Furthermore, describe the different strategies for
upgrading HMF and FUR to liquid biofuels and valuable chemicals from various
catalytic reactions, such as hydrogenation, oxidation, condensation, amination, and
its reaction mechanisms.
M. Baithy et al.