Nickel‐Promoted Tungsten Carbide Catalysts for Cellulose Conversion: Effect of Preparation Methods

Abstract A series of Ni‐promoted W 2 C catalysts was prepared by means of a post‐impregnation method and evaluated for the catalytic conversion of cellulose into ethylene glycol (EG). Quite different from our previously reported Ni–W 2 C/AC catalysts, which were prepared by using the co‐impregnation method, the introduction of Ni by the post‐impregnation method did not cause catalyst sintering, but resulted in redispersion of the W component, which was identified and characterized by means of XRD, TEM, and CO chemisorption. The highly dispersed Ni‐promoted W 2 C catalyst was very active and selective in cellulose conversion into EG, with a 100 % conversion of cellulose and a 73.0 % yield in EG. The underlying reason for the enhanced catalytic performance was most probably the significantly higher dispersion of active sites on the catalyst.