Pd/NbOPO sub(4) Multifunctional Catalyst for the Direct Production of Liquid Alkanes from Aldol Adducts of Furans

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2014-09, Vol.53 (37), p.9755-9760
• Main Authors: Xia, Qi-Neng, Cuan, Qian, Liu, Xiao-Hui, Gong, Xue-Qing, Lu, Guan-Zhong, Wang, Yan-Qin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adducts; Aldehydes; Alkanes; Biomass; Bonding; Catalysts; Conversion; Liquids; Palladium
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201403440

Great efforts have been made to convert renewable biomass into transportation fuels. Herein, we report the novel properties of NbO sub(x)-based catalysts in the hydrodeoxygenation of furan-derived adducts to liquid alkanes. Excellent activity and stability were observed with almost no decrease in octane yield (>90% throughout) in a 256h time-on-stream test. Experimental and theoretical studies showed that NbO sub(x) species play the key role in C--O bond cleavage. As a multifunctional catalyst, Pd/NbOPO sub(4) plays three roles in the conversion of aldol adducts into alkanes: 1)The noble metal (in this case Pd) is the active center for hydrogenation; 2)NbO sub(x) species help to cleave the C--O bond, especially of the tetrahydrofuran ring; and 3)a niobium-based solid acid catalyzes the dehydration, thus enabling the quantitative conversion of furan-derived adducts into alkanes under mild conditions. Fueling fuel production: Biomass conversion into liquid fuel depends on the design of multifunctional catalysts. In the direct conversion of furan-based aldol adducts into liquid alkanes over a Pd/NbOPO sub(4) catalyst under mild conditions (see scheme), NbO sub(x) species played an important role in C--O bond cleavage.