“H_(2)-free” demethoxylation of guaiacol in subcritical water using Pt supported on N-doped carbon catalysts:A cost-effective strategy for biomass upgrading

摘要

"H_(2)-free" HDO is a revolutionary route to circumvent the limitations of H_(2)-fed HDO reactors for biomass upgrading.This work demonstrates the viability of this economically appealing route when an adequate catalyst is implemented.Herein,we have developed a new family of Pt catalysts supported on N-doped activated carbons for the H_(2)-free HDO process of guaiacol.Several N-donors have been used to tune the catalyst’s structural and electronic properties.As a general trend,the N-promoted samples are more selective towards oxygen-depleted products.The best performing material,namely Pt/PANI-AC reached outstanding guaiacol conversion values-ca.75% at 300°C while displaying reasonable stability for multiple recycling operations.The advanced performance is ascribed to the modified electronic and acid-base properties which favor guaiacol activation and C-O cleavage,as well as the excellent dispersion of the Pt nano particles.