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Selective hydrodeoxygenation of guaiacol to cyclohexanol using activated hydrochar-supported Ru catalysts

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Abstract

Lignin, an abundant aromatic polymer in nature, has received significant attention for its potential in the production of bio-oils and chemicals owing to increased resource availability and environmental issues. The hydrodeoxygenation of guaiacol, a lignin-derived monomer, can produce cyclohexanol, a nylon precursor, in a carbon-negative and environmentally friendly manner. This study explored the porous properties and the effects of activation methods on the Ru-based catalyst supported by environmentally friendly and cost-effective hydrochar. Highly selective cleavage of Caryl-O bonds was achieved under mild conditions (160 °C, 0.2 MPa H2, and 4 h), and alkali activation further improved the catalytic activity. Various characterization methods revealed that hydrothermal treatment and alkali activation relatively contributed to the excellent performance of the catalysts and influenced their porous structure and Ru dispersion. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results revealed an increased formation of metallic ruthenium, indicating the effective regulation of interaction between active sites and supports. This synergistic approach used in this study, involving the valorization of cellulose-derived hydrochar and the selective production of nylon precursors from lignin-derived guaiacol, indicated the comprehensive and sustainable utilization of biomass resources.

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Acknowledgements

The financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52276202), the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2020YFC1910100), the Tsinghua University-Shanxi Clean Energy Research Institute Innovation Project Seed Fund, Huaneng Group Science and Technology Research Project (Grant No. KTHT-U22YYJC12), the International Joint Mission On Climate Change and Carbon Neutrality, Tsinghua-Toyota Joint Research Fund, and State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering (Grant No. SKL-ChE-22A03) are gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of CO2 Utilization and Reduction Technology, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Kaile Li, Qinghai Li, Yanguo Zhang & Hui Zhou

  2. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117585, Singapore

    Shijie Yu

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  1. Kaile Li
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  2. Shijie Yu
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  3. Qinghai Li
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  4. Yanguo Zhang
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  5. Hui Zhou
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Correspondence to Shijie Yu or Hui Zhou.

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Li, K., Yu, S., Li, Q. et al. Selective hydrodeoxygenation of guaiacol to cyclohexanol using activated hydrochar-supported Ru catalysts. Front. Chem. Sci. Eng. 18, 50 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-024-2409-1

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