Conversion of lignin to high yields of aromatics over Ru–ZnO/SBA-15 bifunctional catalysts

Shanshuai Chen, Puxiang Yan, Xiaona Yu, Wanbin Zhu and Hongliang Wang

Renewable Energy, 2023, vol. 215, issue C

Abstract: The development of a highly active and robust catalyst for the conversion of lignin, the largest volume of renewable aromatic resource in nature, to value-added aromatics is of great importance in sustainable chemistry. However, the condensation of lignin depolymerization intermediates into recalcitrant macromolecules restricts high yields of desired products, and this remains a great challenge in lignin valorization. Here, a serious of bifunctional Ru–ZnO/SBA-15 catalysts were synthesized for lignin conversion to aromatics. Roles of Ru and ZnO in these catalysts for lignin conversion were in-depth analyzed. The effect of the ratio of Ru to ZnO was studied. Other reaction conditions including temperature and time were systematically optimized. More than 51.3% yields of aromatics were obtained over Ru–10ZnO/SBA-15 at 240 °C for 4 h. Structure-activity relationship research of the catalyst revealed that the high yield of product could be attributed to the following three reasons: 1) the Lewis acidic sites on Ru/SBA-15 are significantly improved after ZnO modification, and thus promotes the C–O bond cleavage; 2) the oxophilic ZnO is beneficial to absorb the substrate and reaction intermediates, and therefore enhances the hydrodeoxygenation activity of the adjacent Ru; 3). The interaction between Zn and Ru in Ru–ZnO/SBA-15 changes Ru electronic properties and leads to the formation of highly active catalytic sites with high electron density. These results indicated that the bifunctional Ru–ZnO/SBA-15 catalyst with high catalytic activity could be a good choice for lignin conversion to high-yield aromatics.

Keywords: Lignin depolymerization; Hydrodeoxygenation; Aromatics; Bifunctional catalysts (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:215:y:2023:i:c:s096014812300825x

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2023.118919

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