MOF-derived RuCo catalyzes the formation of a plasticizer alcohol from renewable precursors

The Guerbet reaction can be used for the condensation of simple bioalcohols, which simultaneously doubles the carbon count and increases the C:O ratio, to yield valuable commodity chemicals. Here, we report a metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived RuCo catalyst that furnishes 2-ethylhexanol, a plasticizer alcohol currently produced on a 2 Mt/a scale. While the industrial route requires propene, the MOF-derived catalyst uses 1-butanol and delivers turnover numbers up to 1.7 × 106 Ru-1. In combination with K3PO4, it serves as a fully heterogeneous catalyst system that yields the Guerbet alcohol without producing sodium butanoate, a common secondary product from the undesired Cannizzaro reaction.