A highly dispersed Ni3P/HZSM-5 catalyst for hydrodeoxygenation of phenolic compounds to cycloalkanes

• A highly dispersed Ni 3 P/HZSM-5 catalyst was prepared by modified electroless plating method. • Both deposition precipitation and electroless plating take place in aqueous solution, facilitating the formation of nano-sized Ni 3 P. • Bifunctional Ni 3 P/HZSM-5 exhibited high performance in hydrodeoxygenation of phenolic compounds. A highly dispersed Ni 3 P/HZSM-5 catalyst was prepared by deposition-precipitation of Ni species followed by electroless plating and thermal treatment, and characterized by means of XRD, ICP, N 2 physical adsorption, TEM, XPS, NH 3 -TPD, and CO chemisorption. Electroless plating reaction takes place in an aqueous solution under mild conditions, facilitating the high dispersion of the formed Ni 3 P particles. XRD measurements illustrated the lamellar nickel phyllosilicate was produced at the first step of deposition-precipitation, amorphous Ni-P was formed in the subsequent electroless plating, and highly dispersed Ni 3 P crystallites were generated in thermal treatment. TEM observation demonstrated that the average particle size of Ni 3 P crystallites in the prepared Ni 3 P/HZSM-5 catalyst was 4.3 nm. Bifunctional Ni 3 P/HZSM-5 was investigated in hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of phenolic compounds, including phenol, m-cresol, and guaiacol. Ni 3 P/HZSM-5 exhibited high catalytic performance in HDO with enhanced hydrogenation and dehydration pathway.