MgO Catalysts Research Articles

Kinetics of Transesterification of Croton megalocarpus Oil Using Alkaline Earth Catalysts with Conventional and Microwave Heating

Transesterification kinetics of Croton megalocarpus oil to produce fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) was studied using homogeneous NaOH and heterogeneous alkaline earth Nano MgO, MgO, Nano CaO, CaO, Reoxidized CaO, SrO, and BaO catalysts. Characteristic surface, bulk, and chemical properties of the heterogeneous catalysts were obtained which included surface area, pore properties, scanning electron micrography, X-ray diffraction, basic strength, and basicity. The catalyst porosity varied as Nano MgO > Nano CaO > MgO > CaO > CaO-RO > SrO > BaO and basicity as BaO > SrO > Nano CaO > CaO RO > CaO > Nano MgO > MgO. Catalysts NaOH, BaO, SrO, and Nano CaO gave a good FAME yield (>50%), and reaction order and rate constant have been reported for these catalysts, for both conventional heating and microwave irradiation. The overall reaction for NaOH was of 1st order for microwave irradiation with respect to triglyceride and of 2nd order with respect to triglyceride under conventional heating. For the heterogeneous catalysts, the overall reaction was of 3rd order, 2nd order with respect to triglyceride and 1st order with respect to methanol for both heating methods. Reaction rate constants for microwave irradiation were higher than those for conventional heating due to faster reaction rates under such heating. BaO was the most active heterogeneous catalyst, followed by SrO and Nano CaO, which was in accordance with their basicity.

Mechanistic investigation on ethanol‐to‐butadiene conversion reaction over metal oxide clusters

AbstractDensity functional theory (DFT) calculations were conducted to investigate mechanistic details of ethanol‐to‐butadiene conversion reaction over MgO or ZnO catalyst. We evaluated the Lewis acidity and basicity of MgO and ZnO and found that ZnO had the stronger Lewis acidity and basicity than MgO. Potential energy surfaces of ethanol‐to‐butadiene conversion, which included relevant transition states and intermediates, were computed in detail following the generally accepted mechanism reported in the literature, where such mechanism included ethanol dehydrogenation, aldol condensation, Meerwein‐Pondorf‐Verley reduction, and crotyl alcohol dehydration. DFT results showed that ethanol dehydrogenation was the rate‐limiting step of overall reaction when the reaction was catalyzed by MgO. Also, DFT results showed that ethanol dehydrogenation occurred more easily on ZnO than on MgO, where such a result correlated with the stronger Lewis acidity of ZnO. In addition, we computed ethanol dehydration, which generates ethylene, one of the major undesired side reaction products for butadiene formation. DFT results showed that ZnO favored dehydrogenation over dehydration, while MgO favored dehydration.

Fuel properties and compositional analysis of Areca catechu sawdust over MgO and ZSM-5 catalysts

This work addresses the effect of operating parameters and catalysts on pyrolytic products yield and nature of pyrolytic liquid generated from Areca catechu sawdust (AN). Physicochemical characteristics of AN showcased its bio-energy potential as a substitute for fossil fuels. Further, catalytic pyrolysis yielded 36.75 wt% and 35.70 wt% pyrolytic liquid for ZSM-5 and MgO respectively at 8:1 B/C, which is greater than thermal pyrolytic yield 33.75 wt%. The characterization of pyrolytic oil demonstrated that the adoption of catalysts upgrades the properties of pyrolytic oil. FTIR examination of pyrolytic oil summarized the attendance of aromatics, acid, moisture, protein impurities etc., while GC-MS results recognized that the utilization of catalysts brings down the yield of oxygen-rich products and acids while showing an escalation in the aromatic yield. Further, ash content study of pyrolytic oil confirmed the greater reduction in ash content in catalytic pyrolytic oil than thermal pyrolytic oil due to utilization of catalysts. Results of biochar characterization marked out a higher carbon content (73.14%), heating value (29.11 MJ kg−1), zeta potential (−31.04 mV), fixed carbon (62.12%) and lower BET surface area (5.49 m2 g−1). Furthermore, the XRF study of ash content established the attendance of various inorganic content in ash which worked as catalysts at the time of pyrolysis.

Supports materialization of Pd based catalysts for NOx removal by hydrogen assisted selective catalytic reduction in the presence of oxygen

AbstractThe Pt and Pd based bimetallic catalyst are developed to address the NOx reduction activity. For this, a series of supports containing three different amounts of CeO2−MgO (9 : 1, 3 : 1, and 3 : 2) are prepared by the co‐precipitation method, followed by impregnation of Pd metal precursors. The physicochemical properties of the catalytic system are investigated using various techniques such as Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET), X‐ray Diffraction (XRD), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, and H2‐TPR. Among all, Pd/CeO2−MgO (3 : 1) gave the best NOx reduction activity. Furthermore, the effects of hydrogen concentration (0.2–0.8 vol %) on NOx reduction were tested. It was found that 0.8 vol % of H2 shows the highest NOx conversion. Subsequently, the successive impregnation of Pt metal over Pd based catalyst enhanced the catalytic properties. The bimetallic Pt−Pd/CeO2−MgO (3 : 1) catalyst showed an 89 % NOx reduction with about 97 % N2 selectivity in broad temperature windows (100–300 °C).

Thermocatalytic decomposition of CH4 over Ni/SiO2.MgO catalysts prepared via surfactant-assisted urea precipitation method

The supported Ni catalysts on the magnesium silicate were synthesized via a co-precipitation method using urea. The influences of several factors such as time of urea decomposition (6–24 h), urea concentration (0.25–1 M), calcination temperature (600–800 °C), and the type of the surfactant (PVA and PEG) on the textural attributes and catalytic performance of the catalysts were investigated in details. XRD, BET, SEM, H2-TPR, and TPO were performed for synthesized catalysts characterization. The results showed that the variation of process factors led to significant changes in the surface properties of samples and resulted in the different catalytic performance in this reaction. With increasing the time of urea decomposition from 6 h to 24 h, urea concentration from 0.25 M to 1 M, and calcination temperature from 600 °C to 800 °C, the Ni/SiO2.MgO catalyst showed a decrease in surface area and good thermal stability. In particular, the best performance sample was obtained; the one with decomposition time of 24 h, the urea concentration of 0.5 M and the catalyst calcination temperature of 700 °C, with the specific area of 223.8 m2.g−1, and the methane conversion of 67% at GHSV of 24000 mL.h−1.gcat−1 and 600 °C.

Highly stable M/NiO–MgO (M = Co, Cu and Fe) catalysts towards CO2 methanation

NiO–MgO nanocomposites are synthesized using solution combustion, sonochemical, and co-precipitation synthesis to understand the catalytic activity of CO2 methanation. Excellent particle size distribution was noticed with the sonochemical routed synthesis method, and the CO2 conversions are found to be better with the same synthesis protocol. Surface modifications in NiO–MgO composite were incorporated by doping M (M = Co, Fe, and Cu). The active catalysts are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to understand physical, structural properties and surface morphology of the nanocomposites. All catalysts showed excellent catalytic activity for the conversion of CO2 to methane and selectivity towards methane to be higher than 85%. However, 2%Co/NiO–MgO showed the lowest activation energy of about 43 ± 2 kJ mol−1 among other synthesized catalysts. The mechanism of CO2 methanation was investigated with the inputs from temperature programming reduction with H2 (H2-TPR), and temperature programming desorption with CO2 (CO2-TPD) studies. Detailed reaction mechanism and kinetics are investigated for all doped catalysts. M/NiO–MgO offered excellent stability up to 50 h reaction time with high CO2 conversions and CH4 selectivities.

Catalytic conversion of beef tallow with MgO derived from MgCO3 for biofuels production

Fuels from biological sources, such as oils and fats, receive much attention. Beef tallow is a cheap and abundant feedstock that can be converted into renewable fuels. Catalytic conversion of beef tallow was accomplished with the MgO catalyst derived from MgCO3. Magnesium oxide catalyst was prepared by calcination of MgCO3 at temperature 700 °C. The catalyst was tested for its performance in a fixed bed reactor at temperature 300 °C for 60 min. Conversion of beef tallow to hydrocarbons biofuels was studied. The MgO catalyst was characterized by nitrogen adsorption isotherms (BET), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The assay activity of MgO shows all fatty acids derived from beef tallow have converted into liquid and gas fraction with a black paste residue that has a boiling point of more than 300 °C. The results of the liquid fraction composition depend on the ratio of the given MgO catalyst. At the ratio of MgO catalysts and feeds 2 wt.%, the results of liquid fraction contain the alkanes (45.61%), alkenes (4.12%), alcohols (3.96%), ketones (8.55 %), esters (23.42 %), and cyclic compounds (14.34 %), while at the ratio of 4 wt.%, the liquid fraction contains the alkanes (55.56 %), alkenes (8.94 %), alcohols (5.27 %), ketones (13.73 %) and cyclic compounds (16.50 %).

In-situ catalytic pyrolysis upgradation of microalgae into hydrocarbon rich bio-oil: Effects of nitrogen and carbon dioxide environment

Pyrolysis of Spirulina Platensis (SP) microalgae was carried out under different reaction environment such as nitrogen (N2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) at different reaction temperatures of 300, 350, 400, 450 and 500 °C. Catalytic upgradations were examined over solid acid (ZSM-5) and solid base (MgO) catalyst, and with ZSM-5-MgO catalysts mixtures. Results showed, pyrolysis of non-catalytic biomass yielded maximum bio-oil of 43.6% under N2. However catalytic upgradation in CO2 environment produced lower bio-oil due to the coke formation. Maximum bio-oil (46.2 wt%) was obtained with basic metal MgO catalyst in N2 environment compared to other catalyst and environments. Mixture of MgO-ZSM-5 catalyst improved the bio-oil yield (37.8–48.6 wt%) compared to individual catalytic reaction under N2 and CO2. Higher high heating value (HHV) was observed in catalytic bio-oil 36.8 MJ/Kg. Bio-oil (catalytic) analysis revealed that 64–70% of compounds are in hydrocarbon range. Bio-oil was rich in hydrocarbons of C7-C18 range with less oxygenated compounds.

Plasma-metal oxides coupling for CH4-CO2 transformation into syngas and/or hydrocarbons, oxygenates

Dry reforming of methane was investigated by non-thermal plasma coupled with different metal oxides: BaO, La2O3, ZnO, CaO, α-Al2O3, MgO, γ-Al2O3, TiO2 and CeO2. The deposited power was fixed at 8 W and the total gas flow at 40 mL.min−1 (75 % helium as diluent). Electrical characterization showed that the CO2 and CH4 conversions were enhanced (from 5.6 to 30.6 % for CH4 and from 1.9 to 16.1 % for CO2) when the permittivity was reduced from 2903 to 4.1, respectively. Methanol selectivities were favored for the oxides presenting low permittivities, indicating that reaction is favored under a low electric field, thus low density of reactive species. The effect of reaction temperature was evaluated on MgO catalyst. The increase of the temperature favored CH4 conversion, while reducing methanol selectivity. The oxide characterization by TGA revealed the re-hydroxylation of MgO at low temperature, which was correlated to the improved oxygenated compounds selectivities.

Influence of the catalytic activity of MgO catalyst on the comparative studies of Schlichera oleosa, Michelia champaca and Putranjiva based biodiesel and its blend with ethanol-diesel

The aim of this study to produce the high yield of biodiesel (87%) by transesterfication of bio oil with methanol using pre-treated catalytic activity of MgO. In this study 0.1 g of MgO, 4 g Methanol and 20 ml bio oil are used at 60 °C for 10 h. 87% of biodiesel yield were obtained. Blend of bio oil biodiesel with ethanol and diesel fuel were done by inline blending method in different proportions in volume basis. The blending of SED2, MED2 and PED 2 has improved the property of fuel, higher load carrying capacity, low temperature (approx.-14 °C), oxidation stability (2 h), and fluidity (2.1, 4.8, and 3.5) resistance to corrosion of engine. The aim of the study is to enhance the physicochemical properties of blended biodiesel by using small amount of catalyst.

Hydrothermal liquefaction of macroalgae with in-situ-hydrogen donor formic acid: Effects of process parameters on products yield and characterizations

Catalytic Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of Ulva lactuca (UL) macroalgae over various amount of formic acid (FA) with solvents (water, ethanol and methanol) at different reaction temperatures (260, 280 and 300 °C), reaction holding times (15, 30 and 45 min.) with acidic ZSM-5 and basic MgO catalyst were investigated. Without catalyst, the maximum bio-oil yield was obtained 43.8 wt.% in ethanol-FA mixture at 280 °C for 30 min reaction time. However, the maximum bio-oil (55.2 wt.%) was obtained with basic metal MgO catalyst in the ethanol-FA solvent mixture compared to the acidic ZSM-5 catalyst (48.7 wt.%). When ethanol solvent used with MgO and ZSM-5 catalyst, the highest bio-oil yield 46.7 and 48.7 wt.% were observed. Selectively higher derivatives of hydrocarbon compounds were obtained with MgO in ethanol-FA solvent. However the phenolic compounds majorly were found with ZSM-5 catalyst. The higher carbon (69.5 %) and higher high heating value (HHV) (35.8 MJ/kg) was observed in case of MgO catalytic HTL bio-oil compared to the other HTL bio-oil. The use of catalysts in HTL increased the boiling point range of bio-oil and the higher boiling point range was observed in case of MgO and ZSM-5 catalytic bio-oil.

Low-temperature catalytic conversion of greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4) to syngas over ceria-magnesia mixed oxide supported nickel catalysts

Running dry reforming of methane (DRM) reaction at low-temperature is highly regarded to increase thermal efficiency. However, the process requires a robust catalyst that has a strong ability to activate both CH4 and CO2 as well as strong resistance against deactivation at the reaction conditions. Thus, this paper examines the prospect of DRM reaction at low temperature (400–600 °C) over CeO2–MgO supported Nickel (Ni/CeO2–MgO) catalysts. The catalysts were synthesized and characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption/desorption, FE-SEM, H2-TPR, and TPD-CO2 methods. The results revealed that Ni/CeO2–MgO catalysts possess suitable BET specific surface, pore volume, reducibility and basic sites, typical of heterogeneous catalysts required for DRM reaction. Remarkably, the activity of the catalysts at lower temperature reaction indicates the workability of the catalysts to activate both CH4 and CO2 at 400 °C. Increasing Ni loading and reaction temperature has gradually increased CH4 conversion. 20 wt% Ni/CeO2–MgO catalyst, CH4 conversion reached 17% at 400 °C while at 900 °C it was 97.6% with considerable stability during the time on stream. Whereas, CO2 conversions were 18.4% and 98.9% at 400 °C and 900 °C, respectively. Additionally, a higher CO2 conversion was obtained over the catalysts with 15 wt% Ni content when the temperature was higher than 600 °C. This is because of the balance between a high number of Ni active sites and high basicity. The characterization of the used catalyst by TGA, FE-SEM and Raman Spectroscopy confirmed the presence of amorphous carbon at lower temperature reaction and carbon nanotubes at higher temperature.

Synthesis of Light Hydrocarbons from Biogas and Hydrogen: Investigation of a Fe‐Mn‐K/MgO Catalyst

AbstractFischer‐Tropsch synthesis of the CO2 in biogas aims at producing light hydrocarbons and increasing its calorific value for feeding into the grid. Fe catalysts with Mn and K as promoters are supposed to yield high amounts of light hydrocarbons. Using a Fe‐Mn‐K/MgO catalyst, a parameter screening and long‐term experiments were carried out. The catalyst shows, within the examined range, the highest selectivity to C2–C4 hydrocarbons at 450 °C, 8 bar(a), and a gas hourly space velocity of 350 h−1. Calcination of the catalyst resulted in a significant drop of activity and an almost complete loss of selectivity to hydrocarbons. Admixture of steam to the reactant gas lowers the tendency to carbon deposition but also promotes the water‐gas shift reaction and results in lower yields of hydrocarbons.

Catalytic pyrolysis of rice straw: Screening of various metal salts, metal basic oxide, acidic metal oxide and zeolite catalyst on products yield and characterization

Lignocellulosic biomass is a promising renewable feedstock for the production of chemicals and fuels in light of the extensive use of fossil fuels associated with increasingly serious environmental problems. In this study, pyrolysis of rice straw with different types of catalyst such as metal salts (FeCl3, CuCl2, MgCl2 and MnCl2), metal basic oxides (MgO, CaO, MgCO3 and CaCO3), acidic metals (ZnO, ZrO2, CeO2 and TiO2), zeolites catalysts (ZSM-5, Y-Zeolite, Mordenite and SBA-15), catalyst amount (5, 10, 15 and 20 wt%) and reaction temperatures (350, 400, 450 and 500 °C) were examined on product yield and products characterization. The maximum bio-oil (38.5 wt%) was obtained for non-catalytic reaction at 450 °C. However for catalytic reaction highest bio-oil yield were observed 55.2, 52.1, 48.7 and 48.4 wt% with Y-zeolite, MgO, ZrO2 and MgCl2 catalyst at 450 °C respectively. GC-MS, FT-IR, NMR, GPC, TGA, and CHNS were used for bio-oil characterization. Y-zeolite effectively produced phenolics monomers as compare to basic (MgO), acidic (CeO2) and metal salt (MgCl2) catalyst. The use of catalysts was increased the boiling point range and the higher boiling point range was observed in case of Y-zeolite and MgO catalytic bio-oil. The highest higher heating value (HHV) 36.7 MJ/kg and highest carbon 75.2% was observed for zeolite catalytic bio-oil. Moreover lower molecular weight in the catalytic bio-oil was observed as compare to non-catalytic bio-oil.

Reaction Kinetics Analysis of Ethanol Dehydrogenation Catalyzed by MgO–SiO2

The Mg-catalyzed dehydrogenation of ethanol to yield acetaldehyde is an important step in the Lebedev reaction. In this work, we prepared a model MgO–SiO2 catalyst by impregnation of MgO onto an SBA-15 support and used this material to study the reaction kinetics of ethanol dehydrogenation to acetaldehyde. The rates of acetaldehyde and ethylene production were measured for ethanol partial pressures ranging from 0.92 to 5.25 kPa. Both rates are fractional order at 723 K, decreasing to nearly zero-order at 648 K. Consistent with the literature for MgO–SiO2 Lebedev catalysts, both basic sites and Lewis acidic sites were observed on this catalyst. The rates of both acetaldehyde and ethylene were inhibited by pyridine but not by 2,6-ditertbutylpyridine, suggesting that both reactions involve not only basic but also Lewis acidic sites. To elucidate the origin of this cooperativity, a microkinetic model was constructed using a recently published mechanism for the Lebedev reaction catalyzed by MgO. The model was fit to our data using four fitting parameters. The fitting suggests that adsorbed ethanol and hydrogen atoms have a weaker bond with mixed-oxide MgO–SiO2 catalysts than with bulk MgO catalysts, which we attribute experimentally to an increase in the number of moderate-strength Mg2+–O2– site pairs formed at the expense of strongly basic MgO sites.

Hydrothermal liquefaction of macroalgae over various solids, basic or acidic oxides and metal salt catalyst: Products distribution and characterization

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of macroalgae Ulva prolifera (UP) over various solids, basic, or acidic oxide and metal salt catalysts at different reaction temperature (260, 280 and 300 °C), reaction holding time (15, 30 and 45 min.) and solvents (water, ethanol and methanol) were investigated. The maximum bio-oil yield (35.1 wt.%) was obtained with metal MgO catalyst with water solvent compared to the acidic (Al2O3, ZrO2, and CeO2), salt (MgCl2, FeCl3, and CuCl2) and other basic (CaO and CaCO3) catalyst. When alcoholic solvent (ethanol and methanol) used, the bio-oil yield increased extensively, and highest bio-oil yield (50.6 wt.%) was observed with MgO catalyst in ethanol solvent. GC–MS, FT-IR, NMR, TGA, and CHNS were used for bio-oil characterization. The higher selectively ester compound 62.2 % was obtained with MgO under ethanol solvent. The higher carbon (60.8–66.2 %) and higher heating value (HHV) (30.2–34.2 MJ/kg) was observed in the case of catalytic liquefaction bio-oil compared to the non-catalytic reaction bio-oil. The results suggest that catalytic liquefaction has potential for quality bio-oil production. Also, the reusability of the optimum catalyst (MgO) was examined in this study.

Low-Temperature Methane Oxidation Triggered by Peroxide Radicals over Noble-Metal-Free MgO Catalyst.

Methane is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Hence, effectively removing the low concentration (<1000 ppm) of methane in the environment is an issue that deserves research in the field of catalysis. In this study, oxygen-magnesium bivacancies are simultaneously imbedded into MgO by designing an in situ reduction combustion atmosphere for oxygen release and substituting magnesium with carbon to induce the formation of magnesium vacancies. The DFT calculations reveal that the surface electron density of MgO is improved by the oxygen vacancy structure and the substitution of Mg by C in bulk; this accelerates migration of the charge from the material surface to the adsorbed oxygen species, which leads to abundant surface peroxide species that enable activation and oxidation of methane at a low temperature (below 200 °C). This work could provide a concept for developing non-noble or transition metal oxides for low-temperature activation and conversion of alkanes in the thermocatalytic field through reactive oxygen species.

Potential of Ketapang Seed Oil (Terminaliacatappa Linn) as Basic Material Mono-diglyceride Biodegradable Surfactant

Surfactants are widely used in pharmaceuticals, perfumes, cosmetics, food and beverages. One type of surfactant produced from the synthesis of palm oil is mono-diglyceride which can function as an emulsifier. Ketapang (Terminaliacatappa Linn) is a beach tree with a wide spread area, whose seeds have not been utilized optimally. The content of Ketapang seed oil has the potential to be converted into mono-diglyceride surfactant. This study uses experimental laboratory methods, while parameter optimization is done by the two level factorial design method. The raw materials used were Ketapang seeds from around the campus of Semarang 17 Agustus 1945 University, n-butanol solvents, glycerol, MgO catalysts. During the glycerolysis process, 8 run experiments were carried out with 3 variables which changed in temperature (60 & 90OC); MgO catalyst (2 & 4%) and solvent / 10 g oil volume 20 and 40 ml, while the variable is the weight of 25 gram ketapang seed oil; stirring speed of 400 rpm; reaction time of 4 hours; ratio of glycerol 2.5 ml / 10 g oil; and 24-hour deposition time. From the results of the study, the influential variable is temperature. The optimum results were obtained at conditions of 90OC, 4% MgO catalyst, solvent volume of 20 ml / 10g ketapang seed oil and yield 97.9% %. The resulting surfactant has the characteristics of acid number 57.2 mg KOH / gr, saponification number 218 mg KOH / gr. Surfactant has HLB value 14.75, meaning that the surfactant functions as an O / W type emulsifier or as detergent agent.

Synthesis of bimetallic NiMo/MgO catalyst for catalytic conversion of waste plastics (polypropylene) to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via chemical vapour deposition method

Non-biodegradable waste plastics constitute huge environmental problem and their effective disposal or beneficiation to value-added products such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is imperative for environmental sustainability. However, methods employ in the preparation of the catalysts employed in the catalytic conversion of waste plastics to CNTs play a key role in providing the desired nanoparticle morphology and stability towards increasing the catalytic (active) sites for nucleation and growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). It also determines the diameter, nature and alignment of the produced CNTs. In this study, bimetallic NiMo supported on MgO catalyst was prepared by two different synthesis methods: sol–gel and incipient wet impregnation (IWI) methods. Physico-chemical property and catalytic activity of the catalysts obtained from these catalyst preparation methods were evaluated and compared during the synthesis of CNTs from waste polypropylene under similar conditions using a one-step chemical vapour deposition technique (CVD). The physico-chemical properties of the prepared catalysts and those of the produced CNTs were obtained via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and compared. Results reveal that all prepared catalysts are porous and exhibited catalytic activity, but the catalyst obtained via IWI method is more porous and displayed higher catalytic activity when compared to the one obtained via sol–gel. Furthermore, bulk deposition of multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) of different diameters was also observed.

Synergetic effect of magnesium citrate and temperature on the product characteristics of waste lotus seedpod pyrolysis

To understand the synergetic effect of magnesium citrate (MC) and temperature on biomass pyrolysis, co-pyrolysis of lotus seedpod (LS) and MC was carried out in a fixed bed reactor. With the addition of MC, CO2 become the dominate composition in gas (55.83–90.75 vol%). And with temperature increasing, the main components in bio-oil converted from carboxylic acid to phenols and aromatics. Meanwhile, the mesoporous carbon was formed, with the BET specific surface area up to 514.66 m2/g, and pore diameter mainly focused at 3–8 nm. For the catalytic effect, the secondary cracking of pyrolytic volatiles (acetic acid and anhydrosugar) was inhibited, therefore the gas releasing was inhibited below 550 °C. However, at higher temperature, MgO catalysts favored the reduction of acids and deoxygenation via ketonization and aldol condensation reactions. The formed MgO as a template and the catalysis of MgO during co-pyrolysis contributed to the mesoporous structure of solid char.