Fast pyrolysis of biomass catalyzed by magnetic solid base catalyst in a hydrogen atmosphere for selective production of phenol

Phenol is an important phenolic compound widely used in chemical industry. Lignin in lignocellulosic biomass materials has been recognized as a renewable source for phenol production due to its aromatic nature. In the present study, phenol was selectively prepared from fast pyrolysis of biomass using a recyclable magnetic solid base catalyst (K3PO4/Fe3O4, MSB) in an atmosphere with low hydrogen content. The study focused on the influence of pyrolysis atmosphere, pyrolysis temperature, catalyst content, and biomass type on the product distribution, as well as the recycle performance of MSB in consecutive pyrolysis experiments. Results suggested that the synergistic effect of MSB catalyst and hydrogen atmosphere significantly improved the formation of phenol. In a hydrogen atmosphere at MSB to biomass ratio of 1, the maximal phenol yield of 4.3 wt% with the selectivity of 17.6% was obtained from poplar wood pyrolysis at 550 degrees C. Pyrolysis experiments with different biomass materials suggested that the phenol formation was positively correlated with biomass lignin content. A three consecutive run experiment indicated that the MSB catalyst had excellent performance on recovery and recycle. In addition, possible synergistic mechanism between MSB and hydrogen atmosphere was proposed.