Performance of a Ni-Cu-Co/Al2O3 Catalyst on in-situ Hydrodeoxygenation of Bio-derived Phenol

The in-situ hydrodeoxygenation of bio-derived phenol is an attractive routine for upgrading bio-oils. Herein, an active trimetallic Ni-Cu-Co/Al2O3 catalyst was prepared and applied in the in-situ hydrodeoxygenation of bio-derived phenol. Comparison with the monometallic Ni/Al2O3 catalyst and the bimetallic Ni-Co/Al2O3 and Ni-Cu/Al2O3 catalysts, the Ni-Cu-Co/Al2O3 catalyst exhibited the highest catalytic activity because of the formation of Ni-Cu-Co alloy on the catalyst characterized by using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), temperature programmed reduction (TPR), N2 physisorption, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The phenol conversion of 100% and the cyclohexane yield of 98.3% could be achieved in the in-situ hydrodeoxygenation of phenol at 240 °C and 4 MPa N2 for 6 h. The synergistic effects of Ni with Cu and Co of the trimetallic Ni-Cu-Co/Al2O3 catalyst played a significant role in the in-situ hydrodeoxygenation process of phenol, which not only had a positive effect on the production of hydrogen but also owned an excellent hydrogenolysis activity to accelerate the conversion of cyclohexanol to cyclohexane. Furthermore, the catalyst also exhibited excellent recyclability and good potential for the upgrading of bio-oils.