Effect of Strong Metal-Support Interaction of Pt/TiO2 on Hydrodeoxygenation of m-Cresol

Hydrodeoxygenation of m-cresol was investigated at 350 degrees C and atmospheric pressure over Pt/TiO2 reduced at different temperatures. Increasing reduction temperature results in an increased degree of strong metal-support interactions (SMSI). Consequently, both the number of the perimeter sites at the Pt-TiO2 interface and the oxygen vacancy sites in close proximity to Pt are increased. Increasing reduction temperature from 350 to 550 degrees C leads to the turnover frequency of toluene formation to increase by more than 3 times. These results indicate that the perimeter sites at the Pt-TiO2 interface with oxygen vacancy are the more active sites for deoxygenation than the bare Pt sites. The results also suggest that balancing the SMSI effect and the number of exposed Pt sites is essential for an efficient catalyst for deoxygenation of phenolics to aromatics.