iScience
Volume 15, 31 May 2019, Pages 467-488
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Article
Design of Nickel Supported on Water-Tolerant Nb2O5 Catalysts for the Hydrotreating of Lignin Streams Obtained from Lignin-First Biorefining

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2019.05.007Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Stable Ni/Nb2O5 catalyst for the hydrotreating of diphenyl ether produced

  • Key challenge in the design of solid catalysts for the HDO of lignin streams identified

  • Lewis acidity crucial to HDO also assists catalyst deactivation via coke formation

  • Recommendations for the catalyst design for lignin hydrotreating put forward

Summary

In biomass conversion, Nb2O5 has attracted increasing attention as a catalyst support presenting water-tolerant Lewis acid sites. Herein, we address the design of Ni/Nb2O5 catalysts for hydrotreating of lignin to hydrocarbons. To optimize the balance between acidic and hydrogenating properties, the catalysts were first evaluated in the hydrotreating of diphenyl ether. The best catalyst candidate was further explored in the conversion of lignin oil obtained by catalytic upstream biorefining of poplar. As primary products, cycloalkanes were obtained, demonstrating the potential of Ni/Nb2O5 catalysts for the lignin-to-fuels route. However, the Lewis acidity of Nb2O5 also catalyzes coke formation via lignin species condensation. Thereby, an acidity threshold should be found so that dehydration reactions essential to the hydrotreatment are not affected, but the condensation of lignin species prevented. This article provides a critical “beginning-to-end” analysis of aspects crucial to the catalyst design to produce lignin biofuels.

Subject Areas

Catalysis
Biofuel
Energy Materials

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