Nickel-supported cellulose-based porous composite for catalytic hydrogenation of oleic acid

Based on the amino-functionalized corn straw cellulose-based porous material, a structurally stable and high-performance straw-based metal catalyst (PPCS@Ni) was prepared by depositing metal particles on the surface of porous straw (PCS) using an economical and environmentally friendly polymer-assisted metal deposition (PAMD) method. Due to the excellent structural stability of the metal material and the catalytic performance of nickel, PPCS@Ni exhibited outstanding catalytic efficiency, cyclic regeneration ability, and stability in the catalytic hydrogenation of oleic acid. Furthermore, after experimental screening and optimization (8 g oleic acid, 34.73 % Ni, 100 mg PPCS@Ni, 180 °C, 3 MPa H 2 , 6 h), PPCS@Ni demonstrated a yield and selectivity for stearic acid reaching 100 %. Finally, density functional theory calculations revealed the mechanism of PPCS@Ni in the hydrogenation reaction of oleic acid as well as elucidated the key role of the catalyst surface and selectivity trend of products. With these advantages, it is anticipated that the straw-based metal catalysts developed in this study will provide a new effective pathway for vegetable oil hydrogenation processes.