Efficient Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation of Aromatic Carbonyls over a Nitrogen‐Doped Hierarchical Porous Carbon Supported Nickel Catalyst

Abstract

AbstractHydrodeoxgenation of ketones or aldehydes allows for efficient transformation of oxygen containing raw materials into value‐added chemicals and biofuels, which calls for efficient but inexpensive alternative catalytic systems. In the present contribution, a nitrogen‐doped hierarchical porous carbon (NHPC) was fabricated in a “leavening” method, functioning as a superior support for the anchoring of highly dispersed Ni nanoparticles (Ni/NHPC with ∼ 6.5 nm Ni nanoparticles). When tested in hydrodeoxygenation of bio‐derived vanillin (4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxybenzaldehyde), this catalyst demonstrated much enhanced catalytic activity as compared to Ni/HPC (HPC means hierarchical porous carbon without nitrogen doping). A direct hydrogenolysis or hydrogenation‐hydrogenolysis reaction mechanism was proposed, which allows the present Ni/NHPC to exert full oxygen removal of a broad set of aromatic substrates with carbonyl or ‐OH at benzylic position. The modified electronic state of nickel interacted with nitrogen dopant and enhanced mass transfer contributed by the hierarchical porous structure of NHPC may be reasons for high reactivity.