The Deoxygenation Pathways of Palmitic Acid into Hydrocarbons on Silica-Supported Ni12P5 and Ni2P Catalysts

Pure Ni12P5/SiO2 and pure Ni2P/SiO2 catalysts were obtained by adjusting the Ni and P molar ratios, while Ni/SiO2 catalyst was prepared as a reference against which the deoxygenation pathways of palmitic acid were investigated. The catalysts were characterized by N-2 adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission election microscopy (TEM), infrared spectroscopy of pyridine adsorption (Py-IR), H-2-adsorption and temperature-programmed desorption of hydrogen (H-2-TPD). The crystallographic planes of Ni(111), Ni12P5(400), Ni2P(111) were found mainly exposed on the above three catalysts, respectively. It was found that the deoxygenation pathway of palmitic acid mainly proceeded via direct decarboxylation (DCO2) to form C15 on Ni/SiO2. In contrast, on the Ni12P5/SiO2 catalyst, there were two main competitive pathways producing C15 and C16, one of which mainly proceeded via the decarbonylation (DCO) to form C15 accompanying water formation, and the other pathway produced C16 via the dehydration of hexadecanol intermediate, and the yield of C15 was approximately twofold that of C16. Over the Ni2P/SiO2 catalyst, two main deoxygenation pathways formed C15, one of which was mainly the DCO pathway and the other was dehydration accompanying the hexadecanal intermediate and then direct decarbonylation without water formation. The turn over frequency (TOF) followed the order: Ni12P5/SiO2 > Ni/SiO2 > Ni2P/SiO2.