In situ synthesis of biomass-derived Ni/C catalyst by self-reduction for the hydrogenation of levulinic acid to γ-valerolactone

Herein, we reported in situ synthesis of biomass-derived Ni/C catalyst by self-reduction with pomelo peel. Compared with the conventional method, which includes carbonization, activation, impregnation and reduction, the entire preparation process was simplified to two steps, which was more straightforward. This synthesis method was green as Ni/C can be prepared without any additional chemical and the self-reduction process was realized in N-2, which can avoid using H-2 thus averting some problems such as storage, transportation and safety of H-2. Meanwhile, the size and dispersion of Ni particles can be controlled by changing carbonization temperature. The synthesis mechanism of Ni/C catalyst with self-reduction was investigated, which was mainly attributed to the carbon and reducing gas produced during the carbonization process. For the catalytic performance of GVL synthesis, a high yield (94.5%) can be obtained and it exhibited good stability up to 5 cycles without obvious loss of catalytic activity. (C) 2019 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.