The effect of nickel content on the hydrodeoxygenation of 4-methylphenol over unsupported NiMoW sulfide catalysts

Unsupported NiMoW sulfide hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) catalysts were prepared by mechanical activation method varying the nickel concentration. Catalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM and BET surface area measurements. Moreover, catalytic activity and selectivity were evaluated in the HDO of 4-methylphenol (4-MP). The results suggested that the structure and the promoting effects were strongly dependent on the amount of Ni added into the catalysts. Nickel gave a positive effect on HDO of 4-MP and modified the product selectivity slightly. It was also found that nickel played a crucial role in the variation of catalytic performance. Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.