Efficient photothermal conversion of biomass lipids into sustainable diesel fuel enabled over a PdPtRuCuNi/TiO2 high-entropy alloy catalyst

Renewable diesel derived from biomass offers a sustainable alternative to conventional fossil fuels, yet its efficient production under mild conditions remains challenging. Herein, we report a PdPtRuCuNi high-entropy alloy/TiO 2 catalyst synthesized via a facile one-pot solvothermal method for the photothermal decarboxylation of biomass-derived oils and fatty acids into diesel-range alkanes. Structural characterizations confirm the successful formation and uniform dispersion of multicomponent HEA particles on TiO 2 . The integration of PdPtRuCuNi alloy sites with oxygen-vacancy-rich TiO 2 creates a cooperative metal–oxide interface that promotes light-induced charge separation, accelerates interfacial electron transfer, and suppresses carrier recombination. Meanwhile, the HEA/TiO 2 interface facilitates H 2 activation, hydrogen spillover, and the adsorption/activation of oxygenated intermediates, thereby enhancing the decarboxylation pathway under mild photothermal conditions. As a result, the catalyst achieves complete conversion of oleic acid with 98.8% selectivity toward renewable diesel-range alkanes at 100 °C and 0.4 MPa H 2 within 3.5 h. Moreover, it retains 91.2% selectivity toward C 15 -C 17 alkanes after ten consecutive cycles, demonstrating excellent stability. This work establishes a high-entropy-alloy/oxide interfacial strategy for efficient photothermal biomass upgrading to renewable fuels.