Regulation of the Reaction Route in Hydrogenation of Renewable Palm Oil Using NiMo Bimetallic Catalyst

Supported metal sulfide catalysts have effective selective deoxygenation (SDO) activity on biomass substrates, but their subsequent sulfur removal processes pose challenges to industrialization. Therefore, to avoid further desulfurization, finding a nonsulfide catalyst for oil hydro-deoxidation is crucial. In this study, a series of bimetallic NiMo catalysts were prepared from coconut-shell-activated carbon (CAC) for clean diesel oil production. The 18Ni11Mo/CAC catalyst exhibited high conversion (100%) and diesel selectivity above 91.3 wt %. Additionally, different Ni–Mo ratios were found to regulate the hydrogenation route of the reaction, promoting the production of C15 and C17 components. In contrast to supported metal sulfide catalysts that require a reaction temperature of 300 °C, bimetallic catalysts can perform the SDO reaction at a temperature of 280 °C. Additionally, even after 210 h of reaction time and subsequent regeneration, the bimetallic catalysts exhibit no significant decrease in reaction activity. In conclusion, the simple preparation and outstanding activity of the bimetallic catalyst present a valid way toward sustainable green chemistry.