abstract
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Furfural is a promising fuel precursor molecule which can be transformed into valuable compounds through hydrogenation or oxidation; however, many furfural-based products have limited applications due to oxygenated carbon chains and unsaturated bonds. In this study, bimetallic catalysts with various Ni-WO
3 contents, supported on ZSM-5 zeolite, were synthesized and characterized to evaluate their performance in the selective hydrogenation and esterification of furfural. The catalysts were applied in batch reactions for bioester production. The results indicated that the catalyst with 10% Ni and 10% WO3 optimized both conversion and selectivity. The interaction between Ni, which facilitated hydrogen transfer, and the acidity provided by WO3 , was key to driving the reaction toward bioester formation. Catalysts with a high WO3 content improved selectivity but reduced conversion, likely due to particle agglomeration and surface site blockage. Fine-tuning WO3 content is therefore essential to balance catalytic performance and maximize the yield of furfural-derived bioesters. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Materials Research Society 2024.