Hierarchical mesoporous ZSM-5 supported nickel catalyst for the catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of anisole to cyclohexane

Upgrading of bio-oil through catalytic hydrotreating was investigated with anisole as a model compound. Hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolites with nano-crystalline structure were successfully synthesized by a segmented steam-assisted crystallization method by tuning the rate of crystallization during the phase transforming between the amorphous structure and crystalline structure without using the organic template. The diffusional properties of ZSM-5 samples were investigated by catalytic cracking of 1,3,5-TIPB. Ni/hierarchical ZSM-5 catalysts displayed an excellent performance in the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of biomass-derived anisole to cyclohexane in comparison with conventional Ni/ZSM-5 catalyst. The activity and selectivity were significantly improved by enhancing the accessibility of acidities. Anisole HDO mainly follows the anisole to benzene with metal sites by direct deoxygenation, then cyclohexane formed by hydrogenation.