The gradient fabrication and optimization of metal-acid bifunctional catalysts for the hydrogenation of n-C16 to produce bio-jet fuel component

Abstract

In the two-step hydrogenation of oil to produce bio-jet fuel, the yield of bio-jet fuel is determined by the hydrotreatment of long-chain alkanes over a metal–acid bifunctional catalyst. A strategy that the catalyst with better isomerization is conductive to the hydrotreatment of long-chain alkanes to produce jet fuel component is proposed. Based on the hollow silicon sphere (HSS), catalysts with different acid strength, diffusion performance, and intimacy between Pt and acid bifunctional sites were designed to gradually optimize the isomerization performance. After the gradient optimization of weak acid, strong diffusion performance, and minor-nanoscale intimacy between Pt and acid sites, the gradient catalysts exhibited a constantly improving yield of isomer product and jet fuel component. The yolk-shell WHSS@Pt catalyst with three levels of simultaneous optimization performed the favorable yield of jet fuel component (37 wt.%), which can be attributed to the combination of weak acid, strong diffusion performance, and minor-nanoscale intimacy between bifunctional sites that are beneficial to the isomerization of long-chain alkanes.