TiO2-supported palladium catalyst for hydrogenolysis of guaiacol

In this study, guaiacol, as a model compound for lignin, was used as a reactant for the catalytic transfer hydrogenation/hydrogenolysis using 2-propanol as a hydrogen donor over TiO2−supported Pd catalysts. The catalysts were prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation, and the prepared catalysts were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ammonia temperature-programmed desorption (NH3−TPD) and hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction (H2−TPR) analysis. According to XRD analysis, PdTi alloy was formed during catalyst synthesis. Catalytic transfer hydrodeoxygenation of guaiacol, as a model compound of lignin, was carried out in a batch reactor at 250 °C for 1 hour under 30 bar of initial He pressure, and the products were then analyzed using GC-MS and GC-FID. From our preliminary study, it was found that the prepared Pd/TiO2 catalyst was active for the catalytic transfer hydrogenolysis of guaiacol. The GC-MS analysis show that the amount of guaiacol conversion using Pd/TiO2 catalyst was 14.2 %.