Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation of Lignin and Its Model Compounds to Hydrocarbon Fuels over a Metal/Acid Ru/HZSM-5 Catalyst

The hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) reaction represents an important process for the high-value utilization of lignin and its model compounds. Here, the Ru/HZSM-5 catalyst containing a large number of acid sites was prepared by an incipient wetness impregnation method. Diphenyl ether (DPE) as a typical model compound in lignin could be completely converted into cyclohexane over the Ru/HZSM-5 catalyst under mild conditions (210 degrees C, 1 MPa H-2, and 2 h). The oxygen atoms in lignin and other model compounds could be also effectively removed via the HDO reaction catalyzed by Ru/HZSM-5 in this study. The coexistence of both the function of Ru metal for hydrogenolysis and acid sites in the pores of HZSM-5 for deoxidation was responsible for the entire HDO reaction. The structure-performance relationship of the Ru/HZSM-5 catalyst in the HDO was investigated and the reaction pathway for the HDO of DPE was analyzed.

Automated summary

The study successfully converted lignin model compound DPE into cyclohexane using the Ru/HZSM-5 catalyst, and further investigated the reaction mechanism and structure-performance relationship.