Efficient hydrodeoxygenation of lignin-derived bio-oil to hydrocarbon fuels over bifunctional RuCoWx/NC catalysts

Efficient hydrodeoxygenation of lignin-derived bio-oils to cycloalkanes was achieved over bifunctional RuCoWx/NC catalyst prepared by in situ pyrolysis method. The performance of RuCoWx/NC was investigated in HDO of 4-propylguaiacol, considering the influences of catalysts, initial H-2 pressure, and reaction temperature. Catalyst screening reveals that RuCoW0.03/NC afforded the highest propylcyclohexane yield of 71.3% from 4-propylguaiacol at 220 & DEG;C. At 240 & DEG;C, the yield of propylcyclohexane increased to 95.2 %. The heavy fraction of rice husk bio-oil, primarily composed of lignin-derived phenolic compounds, could be upgraded to 98.3% hydrocarbons at 280 & DEG;C over RuCoW0.03/NC. The synergistic interaction between highly dispersed Co and Ru metal sites and WOx acidic sites is responsible for the excellent HDO activity of RuCoW0.03/NC. Besides, RuCoW0.03/NC exhibited high stability after four cycles.