Understanding the influence of alumina supported ruthenium catalysts synthesis and reaction parameters on the hydrodeoxygenation of lignin derived monomers

Up-gradation of lignin derived monomers to value-added and fuel grade products is important to make overall bio-refinery process economical. Although, few studies are devoted on this work yet, systematic study on commercially viable (low loading of metal, recyclable catalyst, mild conditions, high selectivities etc.) is scarce and typically done under harsh conditions. Herein, we report, the methodical effect of support (SiO2, Al2O3 (acidic, basic and neutral), SiO2-Al2O3) on the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of lignin derived various monomers, guaiacol, veretrol, eugenol, phenol using very low loading (0.5 wt%) Ru catalyst. Very high yield (82%) of cyclohexanol from guaiacol could be achieved in presence of cyclohexane as a solvent and Ru/Al2O3-Acidic catalyst at 225 °C and under 1 MPa H2 pressure. The detailed study on the effect of solvent, stability and adsorption of reactant & products etc. is done and it was observed that products are more prone to adsorb and undergo further reactions. The complete characterization of fresh and spent catalysts revealed that lower catalyst reduction temperature and presence of Ru in partially higher oxidation state proved by XPS, helps in enhancing the cyclohexanol formation. Subsequently, role of Ru particle size and support on the activity was also investigated.