HDO of oleic acid over NiCu bimetallic catalysts supported on Mo-modified niobium phosphate

The properties of support have significant effects on the catalytic performance of supported catalysts. The present study involves the synthesis of a series of Mo-modified NbOPO4 supports, which were subsequently utilized for the preparation of supported NiCu bimetallic catalysts via a hydrothermal method. All catalysts were evaluated in the HDO of oleic acid to long-chain alkanes without carbon loss, an essential procedure for contemporary industrial applications. The effects of acidity and porosity on the dispersity and valence states of the metal components were systematically investigated via BET, XRD, SEM, XPS, NH3-TPD, and H2-TPR. Catalytic performance of the materials for HDO of oleic acid was assessed and it revealed that NiCu supported on Mo-modified NbOPO4 exhibited significantly enhanced selectivity for C18 compared to those supported on NbOPO4 (53.10% VS 84.16%) under the mild reaction condition of 250 °C reaction temperature, 3 MPa initial H2 pressure and 7 h reaction time. The resluts demonstrated the significant potential of Mo-modified NbOPO4 as a support for NiCu bimetallic catalysts, enabling efficient conversion of oleic acid into C18 and highlighted the crucial role of support modification in enhancing catalytic performance.