Hydrodeoxygenation of lignin-derived compounds for alkane fuels using bifunctional Co/HZ-HT

The selective hydrodeoxygenation of lignin-derived compounds is an effective pathway for producing liquid fuels. Here, a series of Co-based catalysts were prepared for converting lignin-derived phenols into alkane fuels. The effects of cobalt loading, Si/Al ratio, reaction temperature, time, and pressure on the distributions of alkane fuels were systematically investigated. The experimental results demonstrated that the in-situ grown LDH structure in Co/HZ-HT significantly improved the pore structure of the catalyst, not only enhancing the dispersion of the metallic particles and overall stability but also strengthening the interaction between the metal and the support. The complete conversion of guaiacol was achieved, and the selectivity of cyclohexane reached 97.5% under the conditions of 200 °C, 2 h, 3 MPa H 2 , and Si/Al ratio of 25. Co/HZ-HT exhibits excellent hydrogenolysis performance and wide applicability, outperforming Co/HZ catalysts prepared using conventional impregnation methods. By extending the feedstock to lignin-derived compounds, the complete deoxygenation of the components and hydrogenation of the aromatic rings were both realized with minimal side reactions.