Synergistic effect of highly dispersed Ru and moderate acid site on the hydrodeoxygenation of phenolic compounds and raw bio-oil

Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) is an indispensable and important reaction in the fuel production process. Generally, the catalysts for HDO contain metal or acidic active sites, and the co-existence of them can significantly promote the HDO performance. While the subtle interaction between metal and acidic active sites is still not very clear. Herein, a series of Ru-based catalysts with different supports were prepared by photochemical method to obtain both of the high Ru dispersion and the moderate acidity. Among the catalysts with various supports, Ru/TiO2-Al2O3 showed the most efficient performance in the HDO process of phenolic compounds. Guaiacol was converted into cyclohexane with above 90% selectivity at 240 degrees C. Other typical phenolic compounds, including phenol, anisole, p-cresol, 1,2-dimethoxybenzene, benzofuran, eugenol and dibenzyl ether, were all transformed into the corresponding cycloalkanes with yield close to 100%. The synergistic effect between highly dispersed Ru and moderate acid site played the key role for the enhanced production of hydrocarbon fuels. Moreover, this catalytic system was also effective on the raw bio-oil upgradation for producing high yield of hydrocarbons and alkylphenols, which has the potential to be used as biofuels. (C) 2019 Energy Institute. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.