Abstract:

Lignin is the only large-volume source of aromatic chemicals and its valorization is of great importance. Herein, we designed an efficient FeO_x modified Ru/Nb₂O₅ catalyst for the highly selective production of ethylbenzene from birch lignin oil (BLO) through the integration of dehydrogenative decarbonylation (DHDC) and hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) processes. Compared with Ru/Nb₂O₅ catalyst, RuFe/Nb₂O₅ exhibited higher selectivity (or distribution) of ethylbenzene from both lignin model compound (78.5%) and BLO (63.4%). Various characterizations showed that the introduction of FeO_x species decreased the ratio of metallic Ru0 species that restrained the direct hydrogenolysis of C_propanol-O bonds and enhanced the DHDC process. Moreover, the modification of FeO_x enhanced the oxygen vacancies on the surface of Nb₂O₅, thus promoting the cleavage of C_aromatic-O bonds. Both effects led to the highly selective production of ethylbenzene. Moreover, the rational design of RuFe/Nb₂O₅ catalyst provides a promising approach for the production of ethylbenzene from biomass resources.

Full paper link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926337319308902