Catalytic transfer hydrogenation of 4-O-5 models in lignin-derived compounds to cycloalkanes over Ni-based catalysts

There is an urgent need to develop a selective hydrogenolysis of C-aryl-O bonds in lignin to produce valued-added chemicals and fuels. Recently, hydrogen has been used in the hydrogenation reaction, which hides inevitable danger and is not economical. Therefore, isopropanol, as a hydrogen-donor solvent, is employed for aryl ether hydrogenolysis in lignin models over nickel supported on a carbon nanotube (CNT). Except for aromatic ether (4-O-5), the Ni/CNT catalyst is also found to be suitable for alkyl-aryl ether (alpha-O-4 and beta-O-4) cleavage in control experiments. The physicochemical characterizations were carried out by means of H-2-temperature-programmed reduction, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses. The catalyst can be magnetically recovered and efficiently reused for five consecutive recycling tests in the transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ethers. A mechanism study indicated that the hydrogenolysis cleavage of the ether bond is the first step in the reaction process, and hydrogenation of aromatic rings is only a successive step in which phenol and benzene are intermediate states and are then further hydrogenated. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that aryl groups play an important role in the hydrogenation of phenol in the competitive catalytic hydrogenation reaction of phenol.