High selective monoaromatic hydrocarbon production via integrated pyrolysis and catalytic upgrading of Napier grass over Ca/Ni/boronic acid/KIT-6

Abstract

Biomass-derived aromatic hydrocarbons are promising chemical intermediates for producing fine chemicals and fuel. However, aromatic hydrocarbons have mostly been obtained by catalytic pyrolysis under high-pressure conditions. In this study, a composite catalyst comprising Ca and Ni, supported on boronic-acid-functionalized KIT-6 mesoporous silica (Ca/Ni/BOH-NH-KIT-6), was developed. This catalyst exhibited high selectivity for aromatic hydrocarbons (up to 50%) during integrated catalytic upgrading and pyrolysis of Napier grass under atmospheric pressure. The aromatic hydrocarbon selectivity depended on the dispersion of Ni on the KIT-6 support. The stability of Ni on the catalyst was improved by adding Ca, and the good dispersion of Ni promoted the deoxygenation of phenolic compounds to aromatic hydrocarbons. Further, the addition of Ca increased the selectivity for aromatic hydrocarbons, particularly monoaromatic hydrocarbons. Thus, the high selectivity of the Ca/Ni/BOH-KIT-6 catalyst for aromatic hydrocarbons can be attributed to the enhanced production of aromatics during catalytic pyrolysis of the biomass.