Ce-doped cobalt aluminate catalysts for the glycerol hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) with in-situ produced hydrogen

In this study, the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of glycerol with in-situ produced H2, via aqueous-phase reforming, was investigated over Ce-doped CoAl2O4 catalysts synthesized by coprecipitation. The catalytic runs were performed at 50 bar/260 ºC for 3 h TOS in a fixed bed reactor. The synthesized catalysts were extensively characterized to better understand the effect of physicochemical and surface characteristics on the catalytic performance. The results revealed that doping with Ce increases the population and strength of acid centers, which results in a higher selectivity towards deoxygenated liquid products. Ce-doped catalysts exhibited higher yield to hydroxyacetone and 1,2-propanediol. Post-reaction characterization revealed a decrease of the metallic surface area, mainly due to alumina coating, and to a lesser extent, due to the oxidation and leaching of the cobalt.