Synergistic contribution of metal-acid sites in selective hydrodeoxygenation of biomass derivatives over Cu/CoOx catalysts

Xiaofeng Wang; Zuyi Zhang; Ziyi Yan; Qingbo Li; Chengcheng Zhang; Xinhua Liang

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2023.05.207

Synergistic contribution of metal-acid sites in selective hydrodeoxygenation of biomass derivatives over Cu/CoO_x catalysts

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2023 Oct 15:648:1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.05.207. Epub 2023 Jun 3.

Authors

Xiaofeng Wang¹, Zuyi Zhang², Ziyi Yan², Qingbo Li², Chengcheng Zhang², Xinhua Liang³

Affiliations

¹ Green Shipping and Carbon Neutrality Lab, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China. Electronic address: wangxf@dlmu.edu.cn.
² Green Shipping and Carbon Neutrality Lab, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China.
³ Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States.

PMID: 37295360
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.05.207

Abstract

The efficient hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of biomass derivatives to yield specific products is a significant yet challenging task. In the present study, a Cu/CoO_x catalyst was synthesized using a facile co-precipitation method, and subsequently used for the HDO of biomass derivatives. Under optimal reaction conditions, the conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural reached 100% with a selectivity of ∼99% to 2,5-diformylfuran. In combination with the experimental results, systematic characterizations revealed that CoO_x, as the acid site, tended to adsorb CO bonds, and the metal sites of Cu⁺ were inclined to adsorb CO bonds and enhance CO bond hydrogenation. Meanwhile, Cu⁰ was the main active site for 2-propanol dehydrogenation. The excellent catalytic performance could be attributed to the synergistic effects of Cu and CoO_x. Further, by optimizing the ratio of Cu to CoO_x, the Cu/CoO_x catalysts exhibited notable performance in HDO of acetophenone, levulinic acid, and furfural, which verified the universality of the catalysts in the HDO of biomass derivatives.

Keywords: Acid sites; Cu/CoO(x); Hydrodeoxygenation; Metal sites; Synergistic effect.