In-situ synthesis of Ru–WOX/biochar catalyst for conversion of cellulose toward ethylene glycol

Efficient utilization of renewable biomass plays a vital role in CO2 mitigation. Direct conversion of cellulose, the most abundant fraction in lignocellulosic biomass, into ethylene glycol is a promising route. In this work, by using the biowaste pomelo peel as the carbon precursor, the Ru–WOX/biochar (BC) bifunctional catalyst was prepared via pyrolysis in a nitrogen atmosphere without further reduction. Cellulose could be efficiently converted into ethylene glycol with a yield of 68.8% after 10 h using Ru–WOX/BC at the temperature of 220 °C and 3 MPa H2. The effects of reaction temperature, reaction time, H2 pressure and catalysts obtained from different pyrolysis temperatures on the yield of ethylene glycol were investigated. The characterization and reaction results showed that the gas generated from pyrolysis of pomelo peel could partially reduce ruthenium precursor to metallic form. Metallic Ru can not only promote the reduction of W6+ to W5+, but also work on hydrogenation reaction. The catalyst and preparation method have a promising application in cellulose conversion.