Scale-Up Foreseeable Fabrication of CoS-MoS2 for Efficient Deoxygenation of Lignin-Derived Phenolics to Arenes

Abstract

Catalysis plays a key role in oriented biomass valorization, and designing a robust catalyst and developing its correspondingly easy-to-scale-up preparation are particularly crucial in boosting biorefinery concept into reality. In this study, employing sulfur vacancies in MoS3 and their preferable adsorption to Co ions, CoS-MoS2 catalyst was fabricated via decomposition of MoS3 followed by in situ sulfidation of Co oxides. Co could be located at the edges of MoS2, constructing plenty of CoS–edge interfaces. This critical feature of the interface enhanced the adsorption of the reactant and decreased the energy barrier of the rate-limiting step in the deoxygenation of 4-methylphenol, leading to as high as 100% toluene yield at a low temperature of 120 °C. Moreover, this catalyst presented high stability in the deoxygenation reaction and could efficiently convert other lignin-derived aromatic oxy-compounds into arenes. Importantly, this facile method shows good versatility in fabricating different iron family element-promoted MoS2-based catalysts, and this preparation procedure is readily scaled up 200-fold without compromising catalytic activity, showcasing the potential for large-scale applications.