Tailoring Re-loaded core–shell Ni structures embedded in mesoporous silica for the selective transformation of levulinic acid into γ-valerolactone

Abstract

Heterogeneous core–shell catalysts have attracted significant interest because they integrate multiple catalytic functions within a single, precisely engineered architecture. In this work, we report the rational synthesis and catalytic evaluation of a Re-loaded Ni core–shell catalyst embedded in mesoporous silica for the efficient hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA) to γ-valerolactone (GVL). The core–shell configuration enables effective confinement of Ni nanoparticles within the porous silica matrix and stabilizes spatially separated Ni and ReO<inf>X</inf> species with complementary catalytic functions. Comprehensive physicochemical characterization confirmed the successful formation of the core–shell structure, its high structural stability, and the presence of confined metallic Ni sites responsible for H<inf>2</inf> activation and oxophilic ReO<inf>X</inf>-derived acid sites for oxygenate activation. Under optimized conditions, the Ni<inf>12</inf>Re<inf>1.63</inf>-CS catalyst achieved complete LA conversion with a GVL yield exceeding 94% within 2 h, outperforming non-core-shell catalysts. The catalyst also displayed high intrinsic activity, with a turnover frequency of up to ∼36 h⁻¹, and retained an excellent GVL selectivity of approximately 80% during recycling, despite a gradual decrease in LA conversion. These findings demonstrate that spatial separation of hydrogenation and oxophilic adsorption sites within a core–shell architecture is critical for enhancing activity and selectivity in biomass-derived platform molecule upgrading.