Pd nanoparticles encapsulated in MOF boosts selective hydrogenation of biomass derived compound under mild conditions.

[Display omitted] • Pd nanoparticles encapsulated in MOF-303 was designed and synthesized. • The adjacent pair of N atoms in MOF-303 facilitated the stabilization of Pd species. • The Pd nanoparticles exhibited excellent performance for HMF conversion to DHMTHF under mild conditions. • Pd in Pd@MOF-303 could expose more defective sites that were highly selective for the hydrogenation reaction. Catalytic conversion of biomass-derived compounds into value-added chemicals or liquid fuels is of significant importance for the valorization of sustainable biomass. Currently, selective hydrogenation of typical biomass-derived 5‑hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to the valuable 2,5-dihydroxymethyl-tetrahydrofuran (DHMTHF) has attracted considerable interest, but still suffers from the low efficiency and harsh H 2 pressure (usually 4 ∼ 8 MPa) in this process. Therefore, developing more efficient catalysts for the facile synthesis of DHMTHF from HMF under mild conditions is highly desired. Herein, small Pd nanoparticles were encapsulated in a metal–organic framework (Pd@MOF-303), and highly stabilized by the adjacent pair of N atoms of organic linkers of MOF-303. The small Pd nanoparticles were significantly efficient for HMF conversion to DHMTHF, and exhibited a yield of 95.8 % with a production rate of 85.1 h−1 under 1 MPa H 2. The excellent catalytic performance was attributed to the small Pd nanoparticles which could expose more stable defective sites that were highly active and selective for this reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]