Deuterium-Labeling Study of the Hydrogenation of 2-Methylfuran and 2,5-Dimethylfuran over Carbon-Supported Noble Metal Catalysts.

2-Methylfuran and 2,5-dimethylfuran were deuterated over Pd and Pt catalysts at 90-220 °C. Furan ring saturation over a Pd/C catalyst occurred at low reaction temperatures, which led to deuterated THFs, followed by progressive D exchange in the THF ring at higher temperatures. Finally, H/D exchange occurred in the methyl groups on the THF ring. Cleavage of the C-O bond also occurred over a Pd/C catalyst at elevated temperatures, which resulted in deuterated ketones, for which all H atoms were exchanged for D. Alcohols were produced over a Pt/C catalyst at low temperatures because they are more stable than the corresponding ketones. D replaced H on all carbon atoms of the furan ring and saturated the O and C atoms of the broken C-O bond in both deuterated 2-pentanol and 2-hexanol. At low temperatures (90-105 °C), all H atoms in the deuterated alcohols were exchanged for D except for the last two hydrogen atoms on the methyl groups.