@article { , title = {The effect of metal precursor on copper phase dispersion and nanoparticle formation for the catalytic transformations of furfural}, abstract = {The formation of copper-based catalysts ranging from nanoparticles to isolated and dimeric Cu species supported on nanophased alumina is reported and utilised for the catalytic liquid-phase hydrogenation of furfural. The materials were synthesised via wet impregnation using various copper precursors (nitrate, acetate and sulphate) at two different loadings. A high Cu loading (5 wt\%) led to the formation of well-defined nanoparticles, while a lower loading (1 wt\%) generated a highly dispersed phase consisting mostly of atomic and dimeric Cu species dispersed on Al2O3. The catalytic reaction was found to be structure sensitive, promoting decarbonylation reactions with low Cu loading. Copper sulphate derived catalysts were found to severely decrease furfuryl alcohol selectivity from 94.6\% to 0.8\%, promoting the formation of side reactions. The sulphur-free catalysts represent a greener and more sustainable alternative to the toxic catalysts currently used in industry, operating at milder conditions of 50 °C and 1.5 bar H2.}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2020.119062}, issn = {0926-3373}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B: Environmental}, note = {Received Date: 15 February 2020 Revised Date: 22 April 2020 Accepted Date: 23 April 2020; To appear in: Applied Catalysis B: Environmental Please cite this article as: Islam MJ, GranollersMesa M, Osatiashtiani A, Taylor MJ, Manayil JC, Parlett CMA, Isaacs MA, Kyriakou G, The effect of metal precursor on copper phase dispersion and nanoparticle formation for the catalytic transformations of furfural, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental (2020), doi: https:// This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.}, publicationstatus = {Published}, publisher = {Elsevier}, url = {https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3501872}, volume = {273}, keyword = {Energy, Environment and Sustainability, Copper, Furfural, Nanoparticle, Hydrogenation, Single atom catalysts}, year = {2020}, author = {Islam, Mohammed J. and Granollers Mesa, Marta and Osatiashtiani, Amin and Taylor, Martin J. and Manayil, Jinesh C. and Parlett, Christopher M.A. and Isaacs, Mark A. and Kyriakou, Georgios} }