Conversion of succinic acid to 1,4-butanediol via dimethyl succinate over rhenium nano-catalyst supported on copper-containing mesoporous carbon.

Copper-containing mesoporous carbons (XCu-MC) with different copper content (X = 8.0, 12.7, 15.9, 23.3, and 26.8 wt%) were prepared by a single-step surfactant-templating method. Rhenium nano-catalysts supported on copper-containing mesoporous carbons (Re/XCu-MC) were then prepared by an incipient wetness method. Re/XCu-MC (X = 8.0, 12.7, 15.9, 23.3, and 26.8 wt%) catalysts were characterized by nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm, HR-TEM, FT-IR, and H2- TPR analyses. Liquid-phase hydrogenation of succinic acid to 1,4-butanediol (BDO) via dimethyl succinate (DMS) was carried out over Re/XCu-MC catalysts in a batch reactor. The effect of copper content on the physicochemical properties and catalytic activities of Re/XCu-MC catalysts in the hydrogenation of succinic acid to BDO was investigated. Re/XCu-MC catalysts retained different physicochemical properties depending on copper content. In the hydrogenation of succinic acid to BDO, yield for BDO showed a volcano-shaped trend with respect to copper content. Thus, an optimal copper content was required to achieve maximum catalytic performance of Re/XCu-MC. It was also observed that yield for BDO increased with increasing the amount of hydrogen consumption by copper in the Re/XCu-MC catalysts.