A durable Ni/La-Y catalyst for efficient hydrogenation of γ-valerolactone into pentanoic biofuels

Abstract

Zeolite-supported metal catalysts containing hydrogenation centers and acid sites are promising in the chemoselective hydrogenation of biomass platform molecules into value-added chemicals and fuels. The primary challenge of employing such bifunctional catalysts for biomass conversion lies in catalyst stability in the liquid phase under harsh conditions. Herein, we have prepared a Ni/La-Y nanocatalyst via an improved wet impregnation method. Compared with Ni nanoparticles on H-Y, La addition shows a significantly enhanced stability and performance in the continuous liquid-phase hydrogenation of γ-valerolactone (GVL) into ethyl pentanoate (EP) at 200 °C for 1000 h. Complementary characterization studies reveal that La addition in the metal/zeolite catalyst not only efficiently modulates the acid property of the zeolite to alleviate coke formation, but also suppresses zeolite dealumination and metal agglomeration and leaching upon catalysis over a 1000 h period. These findings provide an efficient approach for improving the stability of zeolite-supported bifunctional catalysts, leading to potential application in hydrogen-assisted biomass valorization under the liquid-phase conditions.