2,5-Bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF) is a high-value, bio-based, rigid diol that resembles aromatic monomers for the production of different polyesters. In this work, a carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-supported nickel catalyst (Ni/CNTs) was prepared and used for the selective hydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to BHMF at low hydrogen pressure. The prepared catalyst was analyzed by nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). According to kinetic studies, the rate constant for BHMF formation is significantly larger than that for the formation of the byproduct, 5-methyl furfural (MF). At optimal reaction conditions, conversion and selectivity rates of HMF and BHMF were 99.8 % and 95.0 %, respectively. The mechanistic study indicated the coexistence of Ni⁰ and Ni²⁺ species on the catalyst surface affects the catalytic performance. A possible mechanism was proposed to describe the synergetic effects of Ni⁰ and Ni²⁺. Furthermore, the catalyst can be easily separated from the reaction mixture for recycling.

2,5-双（羟甲基）呋喃 (BHMF) 是一种高价值的生物基刚性二醇，类似于用于生产不同聚酯的芳香族单体。在这项工作中， 碳纳米管 (CNTs) 负载的镍催化剂 (Ni/CNTs) 制备并用于在低氢气压力下将5-羟甲基糠醛（HMF）选择性加氢为BHMF。通过氮吸附-脱附等温线、X 射线衍射 (XRD) 和 X 射线光电子能谱 (XPS) 分析制备的催化剂。根据动力学研究，BHMF 形成的速率常数明显大于副产物 5-甲基糠醛 (MF) 的形成速率常数。在最佳反应条件下，HMF 和 BHMF 的转化率和选择性分别为 99.8% 和 95.0%。机理研究表明Ni ⁰和Ni ²⁺在催化剂表面的共存会影响催化性能。提出了一种可能的机制来描述Ni ⁰和Ni的协同作用²⁺。此外，催化剂可以很容易地从反应混合物中分离出来以供循环使用。