Ordered mesoporous silica-supported metal catalysts for hydrodeoxygenation of anisole derivatives

The aim of the study presented was a comprehensive analysis of catalytic performance of palladium and platinum catalysts (1 or 3 wt% relative to the support), on SBA-16, in hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of chemical compounds generated in biomass processing (anisole, 4-methylanisole and 1,3-dimethoxybenzene). HDO of these compounds was carried out in a high pressure reactor for 4 h in temperatures from 90 to 130 degrees C and under hydrogen pressure of 25-60 bar. The catalytic performance of palladium and platinum modified materials was found to differ considerably. The SBA-16 supported catalyst modified with palladium permitted getting high conversion of the model molecules studied (often 100%), while those modified with platinum showed higher selectivity to the compounds with no oxygen atom in their structures, which allowed a significant reduction of the O/C ratio. Direct impact of the process conditions (temperature, pressure) on the degree of conversion and selectivity of the HDO process was established and characterized.