Hydrotreatment of lignin dimers over NiMoS-USY: effect of silica/alumina ratio

Sulfides of NiMo over a series of commercial ultra-stable Y zeolites were studied in an autoclave reactor to elucidate the effect of silica/alumina ratio (SAR = 12, 30, and 80) on the cleavage of etheric C-O (beta-O-4) and C-C (both sp(3)-sp(2) and sp(2)-sp(2)) linkages present in native/technical lignin and lignin derived bio-oils. 2-Phenethyl phenyl ether (PPE), 4,4-dihydroxydiphenylmethane (DHDPM), and 2-phenylphenol, (2PP) were examined as model dimers at 345 degrees C and 50 bar of total pressure using dodecane as the solvent. The etheric C-O hydrogenolysis activity was found to be in the order NiMoY30 > NiMoY12 > NiMoY80, despite a high initial rate of C-O cleavage over NiMoY12 owing to its high acid density. A high degree of hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) and hydrocracking reactions were observed with NiMoY30 yielding >80% of deoxygenated products of which similar to 58% are benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzenes. A similar experiment with DHDPM showed the rapid cleavage of the methylene-linked C-C dimer (sp(3)-sp(2)) to phenols and cresols even with the low acid density (high SAR) catalyst, NiMoY80. Direct hydrocracking of the recalcitrant 5-5 ' linkage in 2PP is very slow, however, it cleaved via a cascade of HDO, ring-hydrogenation, and hydrocracking reactions. A high degree of hydrogenolysis and hydrocracking occurs over NiMoY30 due to suitable balance between acidity and pore accessibility, enhanced proximity between acidic and deoxygenation sites leading to a slightly higher dispersion of Ni promoted MoS2 crystallites. Overall, the product spectrum consisted of a high yield of deoxygenated products. The carbon content on the recovered catalyst was in the range of 3-7 wt%. These results pave the way for effective catalysts to break recalcitrant linkages present in lignin to obtain a hydrocarbon-rich liquid transportation fuel. An experiment with Kraft lignin over NiMoY30 shows good selectivity for deoxygenated aromatics and cycloalkanes in the liquid phase.

Automated summary

The study found that NiMoY30 exhibited the highest hydrogenolysis activity for etheric C-O bonds, despite NiMoY12 showing a higher initial cleavage rate. Additionally, NiMoY30 showed good hydrodeoxygenation and cracking reactions, resulting in a higher yield of deoxygenated products. Even with lower acidity, NiMoY80 was able to rapidly cleave the methylene-linked C-C dimer. Overall, the balance of acidity and pore accessibility in NiMoY30 led to effective breaking of recalcitrant linkages in lignin, producing a liquid transportation fuel rich in hydrocarbons.