Boosting the selectivity of aromatic hydrocarbons via ex-situ catalytic fast pyrolysis of cellulose over Pt–Sn–Ce/γ-Al2O3 catalyst

Pt–Sn–Ce/γ-Al2O3 catalysts were synthesized by the impregnation method and used to produce aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs)-rich bio-oil via catalytic fast pyrolysis of cellulose. The upgraded products were on-line analyzed by pyrolysis-comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC × GC/MS). It was found that Pt–Sn–Ce/γ-Al2O3 catalysts were effective for improving the relative content of AHs in bio-oil. Especially, Pt–Sn–Ce/γ-Al2O3 contributed the highest AHs content (85.82%), which was 3 times than that of γ-Al2O3, and increased 85.44% compared with non-catalytic. In addition, Pt–Sn–Ce/γ-Al2O3 and Pt–Sn/γ-Al2O3 can generate the highest monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs) with the relative content of 60.24% and 51.92%, respectively. Pt–Sn–Ce/γ-Al2O3 catalyst can be reused five times with stable catalytic activity to produce AHs-rich bio-oil.