MPa H2 Research Articles

Enhanced reductive catalytic fractionation of lignocellulose using a water-resistant RuNiZnOx/Nb2O5 catalyst with synergistic hydrogen spillover and acidic properties

Eco-friendly lignin depolymerization into monomeric phenols in an aqueous system is essential for the sustainable and green valorization of lignocellulosic biomass. However, a major challenge in this process is the development of efficient and stable catalysts for aqueous reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF), as water can cause catalyst deactivation and reduce monomer yields. In this study, a water-resistant RuNiZnOx/Nb2O5 catalyst is developed that demonstrates excellent catalytic activity and stability in aqueous systems, achieving a near-theoretical monomeric phenol yield of 40.1 wt% under reaction conditions of 240℃ and 3 MPa H2 for 4 h. The excellent performance of this catalyst is attributed to the synergistic hydrogen spillover effect between Ni and Ru and the strong acidic properties of ZnO, as revealed by in-situ XPS analysis and NH3-TPD, respectively. This hydrogen spillover effect significantly alters the product composition, promoting the generation of POH-S/G from lignin model compounds. Additionally, screening of the catalyst support materials revealed that Nb2O5 not only enhances Ru dispersion but also improves its stability, resulting in a minor decrease in lignin monomer yield observed after three cycles.

Selective Hydrodeoxygenation of Lignin-Derived Phenolic Monomers to Cyclohexanol over Tungstated Zirconia Supported Ruthenium Catalysts.

The selective hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of lignin-derived methoxyphenols to cyclohexanol is one of the most significant transformation in biomass conversion since cyclohexanol is an important industrial raw material. This study has disclosed a series of tungstated zirconia with different Zr/W ratio supported Ru catalysts (Ru/xZrW, x means the molar ration of Zr/W) for the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of guaiacol to cyclohexanol. Among these catalysts, Ru/16ZrW has the best catalytic activity, which can achieve 92 % yield of cyclohexanol under the conditions of 180 °C and 1 MPa H2 pressure for 2 h (TOF 231 h-1). Compared with Ru/ZrO2, Ru/16ZrW has smaller particles, more dispersed and electron-rich Ru species, significant hydrogen spillover and more acid sites, which are the main reason for its excellent performance on this reaction. Apart from guaiacol, other methoxy substitution phenols and organosolv lignin can also be converted into cyclohexanol via hydrodeoxygenation reactions over this catalyst.

Waste Plastic-Supported Pd Single-Atom Catalyst for Hydrogenation.

As worldwide plastic pollution continues to rise, innovative ideas for effective reuse and recycling of waste plastic are needed. Single-atom catalysts (SACs), which are known for their high activity and selectivity, present unique advantages in facilitating plastic degradation and conversion. Waste plastic can be used as a support or raw material to create SACs, which reduces waste generation while simultaneously utilizing waste as a resource. This work successfully utilized waste plastic polyurethane (PU) as a support, through a unique Rapid Thermal Processing Reactor (RTPR) to synthesize an efficient Pd1/PU SACs. At 25 °C and 0.5 MPa H2, Pd1/PU displayed outstanding activity and selectivity in the hydrogenation of styrene, as well as remarkable stability. Pd1/PU performed well in hydrogenating a variety of common substrates. These findings highlight the great potential of SACs in plastic waste reuse and recycling, offering intriguing solutions to the global plastic pollution problem.

Laser assisted embedding of Pd10Cu bimetals in ZIF-8 enabling highly selective hydrogenation of C = C in π-bond conjugation

Selective hydrogenation of vinyl groups (C = C) and carbonyl groups (C = O) is of significance to effectively convert low-value organic compounds into high-value target chemicals, while a challenge remains on the hydrogenation of C = C bond that is in π-bond conjugation with the C = O bond. Herein, we address this challenge based on a synergetic modulation strategy on electronic structure and adsorption configurations to achieve a highly selective hydrogenation of the C = C bond, achieved by laser-assisted embedding of PdxCu bimetals in the ZIF-8 bulk phase (x represents the Pd/Cu molar ratio in PdCu nanoparticles). It is revealed that laser assisted synthesis of PdxCu bimetals not only inhibits the hydrogenation of C = O and promotes the hydrogenation of C = C, but also results in an arched absorption configuration for substrate molecules that facilitates the selective hydrogenation of vinyl groups. Exemplified by cinnamaldehyde (CAL), the present work achieves 98.03 % conversion of CAL and 100 % selectivity of the hydrocinnamaldehyde (HCAL) (70 °C, 1 MPa H2, 1 h), indicating the potential of laser-matter interaction to tackle the trade-off between conversion efficiency and selectivity in thermal catalysis.

Corn stover-derived biochar supporting dual functional catalyst for direct sorbitol production from cellulosic materials

Sorbitol is one of the top twelve platform chemicals and is industrially produced via glucose hydrogenation reaction. Direct sorbitol production from cellulosic material using a low-cost catalyst is a current challenge. In this study, corn stover-derived biochar supporting dual functional catalyst (Ru/S-CCS) was prepared and extensively characterized. The Ru/S-CCS catalyst was used for direct sorbitol production from microcrystalline cellulose at various reaction temperatures (180–220 °C), times (3–18 h), H2 pressures (1–5 MPa), and Ru contents (1–5 %). The maximum sorbitol yield (66.3 wt%) and selectivity (66.1 %) were achieved at 220 °C for 6 h under 5 MPa H2 with 5 % Ru. Various catalyst characterization techniques revealed that the acidic characteristics and metal hydrogenation sites of the Ru/S-CCS played a vital role in direct sorbitol production from cellulose. The sorbitol yield and selectivity could be enhanced by the vigorous interactive effect of sulfonic groups and Ru metal sites. The recycling performance of the Ru/S-CCS catalyst was explored under the optimal reaction conditions. Moreover, sorbitol production from glucose, raw CS, and pretreated CS was further investigated. Overall, the results of this study show that the CS biochar used in Ru/S-CCS preparation can be a competitive material for the catalyst preparation in sorbitol production, which may subsequently be used for designing large-scale sugar alcohol production.

High-selectivity demethoxylation of lignin alkylmethoxyphenols enhanced by hydrogen spillover on Ag/Fe-CoOx nanocatalyst

This investigation focuses on the catalytic demethoxylation of alkylmethoxyphenols derived from lignin depolymerization, aiming to convert them with high selectivity into essential chemical intermediates, namely methoxy-free alkyl phenols. A silver-loaded iron-cobalt oxide (Ag/Fe-CoOx) nanocomposite catalytic system was developed, featuring a dual-active-site catalytic mechanism driven by a hydrogen-spillover effect that involves the activation of hydrogen at the metallic active site, while the support's secondary site serves as the reaction locus for the substrates. It was revealed that by integrating iron into cobalt oxide nanosheet supports, catalyst activity and selectivity were finely tuned, particularly to enhance the production of demethoxylated phenols. With the optimized Ag/Fe-CoOx catalyst, a 99.7 % conversion of 4-propylguaiacol and a 94.1 % selectivity for 4-propylphenol were achieved, indicating effective reductive demethoxylation at 280°C and 0.4 MPa H2. The fine structure of the support significantly affects demethoxylation selectivity, guiding the development of selective catalyst design in biomass conversion.

Hollow UiO-66-NH2 Encapsulated Pd Catalysts for Highly Selective Hydrogenation of Furfural to Furfuryl Alcohol.

The selective hydrogenation of furfural (FFA) to furfuryl alcohol (FA) is regarded as attractive transformation to achieve the sustainable synthesis of value-added chemicals from biomass resources. However, the conventional supported catalysts are significantly restricted by their narrow pore size, ununiform dispersion and easy leaching or aggregation of catalytic sites. Herein, we designed hollow UiO-66-NH2 as the support to encapsulate Pd nanoparticles (Pd@H-UiO-66-NH2) to achieve the highly active and selective conversion of FFA to FA. Benefiting from the void-confinement effect and substrate enrichment of hollow structure, as well as the surface wrinkles, the as-prepared catalyst Pd@H-UiO-66-NH2 exhibited 96.8 % conversion of FFA with satisfactory selectivity reaching up to 92.4 % at 80 °C, 0.5 MPa H2 in isopropanol solvent within 6 h. More importantly, as-prepared Pd@H-UiO-66-NH2 catalyst exhibited excellent long-term stability, as well as good universality toward a series of hydrogenation of unsaturated hydrocarbons.

Selective Hydrogenation of Diethyl Malonate to 1,3-Propanediol Over Ga-Promoted Cu/SiO2 Catalysts With Enhanced Activity and Stability.

Cu catalysts with different compositions and different Cu and promoter contents were prepared by precipitation-gel method and studied for the selective hydrogenation of syngas or biomass-based diethyl malonate (DEM) to valuable 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO). The Ga-promoted 70Cu6Ga/SiO2 catalyst was found to exhibit the highest catalytic performance, achieving 100 % DEM conversion and 76.6 % 1,3-PDO selectivity under reaction conditions of 160 °C and 8 MPa H2. The 70Cu6Ga/SiO2 bimetallic catalyst also presented obviously better stability than that of the monometallic 70Cu/SiO2 catalyst in a continuous flow reactor over 180 h time-on stream. Characterization results showed that the incorporation of Ga increased the interaction between Cu and Ga species, hindered the full reduction of Cu2+ species, and thus increased the proportion of Cu+ and the number of Lewis acidic sites on the catalyst surface. The synergistic effect between Cu0 and Cu+ enhanced the adsorption and activation of ester carbonyl groups and their subsequent hydrogenation, eventually contributed to the outstanding performances of the CuGa/SiO2 bimetallic catalysts.

Enhancing nitroaromatics reduction through synergistic participation of Ni NPs and nickel ferrite/C nanocomposite: A path towards greener industrial viability

Ni/Fe-citrate gel was reduced in an H2/Ar, forming Ni NPs decorated NiFe2O4-C for eco-friendly nitroaromatics reduction. In-depth characterization of the catalyst highlighted the synergistic interaction between Ni NPs and NiFe2O4 (Ni/NiFe2O4-C), achieving ∼ 99 % conversion of nitroaromatics into amines at 70 °C and 0.5 MPa H2 in water. The cooperative effects of Ni NPs, NiFe2O4, and carbon were instrumental in enhancing the adsorption of hydrogen and nitroaromatics, and the kinetic study showed effectively reducing the activation barrier for the reduction. The HR-TEM, XPS, and H2-TPR provided valuable insights into the formation of Ni NPs and the NiFe2O4 framework, emphasizing their synergistic relationship. Raman spectroscopy and TGA analysis confirmed the formation of carbon. Remarkably, the highly active Ni/NiFe2O4-C catalyst recycled for five cycles without losing activity. p-Aminophenol on 7 g will receive significant attention, emphasizing the substantial promise of this sustainable transition metal-based catalyst for the eco-friendly hydrogenation of nitroaromatics.

Porous hollow nanospheres nickel phosphide and its high catalytic hydrogenation performance on naomaohu coal soluble portion and model compounds

The catalytic conversion of oxygen-containing aromatic ring in lignite under mild conditions is crucial to obtain clean liquid fuel. Here, hollow nanosphere Ni3P-500–24 catalysts were prepared at a calcination temperature of 500 °C and acid-etching time of 24 h. The porous hollow nanospheres structure could expose more catalytic sites, and the electron-rich nickel exhibited a good catalytic activity. The conversion rate of benzyl phenyl ether (BPE) was 100 % (140 ℃, 1 MPa H2, 2 h), and the main products were methylcyclohexane and cyclohexanol, indicating that the catalyst had good catalytic hydrocracking performance. In addition, the catalyst exhibited certain deoxygenation activity and high product selectivity for other oxygen-containing model compounds. For the catalytic hydrogenation of Naomaohu coal (NMHC) soluble portion, the content of alkanes increased from 19 % to 47 %, while the content of oxygen-containing compounds decreased from 56 % to 21 %, which further demonstrate that the catalyst have good catalytic hydrogenation and deoxygenation performance. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations showed that the properties of the Ni3P-500–24 catalyst was similar to noble metal, which could activate H2 to produce two kind of active hydrogen: H radical and diatomic hydrogen. The synergistic pathways for the transfer of active hydrogen during the catalytic hydroconversion (CHC) process were analyzed. Above results could provide theoretical guidance for the conversion of lignite into high-quality clean liquid fuels.

Catalytic Hydrogenation of γ-Butyrolactone to Butanediol over a High-Performance Cu-SiO2 Catalyst

High-performance Cu catalysts were developed for the selective hydrogenation of γ-butyrolactone (GBL) to 1,4-butanediol (BDO). Among the various catalysts prepared by ammonia evaporation (AE) and impregnation (IM) methods with silica or MFI zeolite supports, the 5% Cu-SiO2-AE catalyst was the best one. It exhibited 95% selectivity for BDO and 71% conversion of GBL after 2–8 h reaction at 200 °C and 4 MPa H2, with high stability in five-cycle runs. Comprehensive characterizations showed that the AE method favored generating nano Cu particles with an average size of 2.9 nm on the 5% Cu-SiO2-AE catalyst. The silica support derived from a sol demonstrated an advantage over the MFI zeolite in the preparation of a highly dispersed and stable Cu catalyst, in view of its anti-sintering and robust composition of Cu0, Cu+, and Cu2+ in the cycling operation. The reaction pathways for GBL to BDO over the Cu catalysts were found to commonly involve reversible reactions of hydrogenation and dehydrogenation, along with subsequent dehydration to form THF. The high performance of the Cu catalysts in the conversion of GBL to BDO was attributed to the high dispersion of Cu, the presence of stable active sites, and fewer strong acid sites in the catalyst.

Mesoporous organic resin supported palladium nanoparticles for efficient hydrodeoxygenation of vanillin

Resorcinol 1,4-phthalaldehyde resin (RPR) was successfully synthesized using a solvent-free self-assembly method employing a template (F127) and a mixture of resorcinol and 14-phthalaldehyde. After the removal of the template (F127) by heating, the PRR exhibited an ordered mesoporous structure with a size of approximately 5.8 nm. After impregnating with Pd species, a RPR supported Pd catalyst (Pd/RPR) was finally obtained, which demonstrated outstanding catalytic performance and good stability in the hydrodeoxygenation of vanillin. With an optimal catalyst, 100% conversion of vanillin and 96.7% selectivity for 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol were achieved under the reaction conditions of 2 MPa H2 in ethanol at 90 ℃ over 4 hours. The superior catalytic properties of Pd/RPR with high activity and stability are anticipated to be significant for future biofuel upgrades.

Ethanolysis of enzymatic hydrolysis lignin with Ni catalysts on different supports: The roles of catalytic sites

Catalytic lignin solvolysis (CLS) holds promise for efficient lignin utilization, yielding small molecules with minimal or no char formation. However, the role of different active sites of catalyst in CLS are rarely discussed. Here, Ni catalysts on different supports, i.e., SiO2, Al2O3, MgO, and ZrO2, were prepared with the aim of manipulating the relative importance of metal and acid-base functionalities to investigate the role of different active sites in the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignin (EHL) ethanolysis. The main ether linkage, i.e., β-O-4, in EHL is cleaved without the participation of a catalyst. Metal sites suppress repolymerization through hydrogenating active intermediates, while acid and base sites facilitate the conversion of phenolic monomers into complex alkylated and etherified products and also promote repolymerization reactions. Among the catalysts, Ni/SiO2 demonstrated the highest hydrogenation activity and yielded the most monomers (24.7 wt %) at 280 °C for 6 h under 2 MPa H2 in ethanol. These findings shed light on the catalytic mechanisms in CLS, offering valuable insights for future catalyst design.

Hydrodeoxygenation of biomass-derived fatty acids and esters to biofuels on RuRe/ZSM-5 catalysts: Synergistic effects of ReOx and Brønsted acid sites

The hydrodeoxygenation of fatty acids and esters is a critical pathway to produce biofuels. We report an efficient RuRe/ZSM-5(18) catalyst for hydrodeoxygenation of methyl laurate, the selectivity of n-C12H26 reached up to 95.2 % at complete conversion under the reaction conditions of 200 °C, 3 MPa H2, 3 h. The contribution of ReOx and acid sites was discussed from the perspective of dynamics and thermodynamics. ReOx was available for the adsorption of substrate and intermediates, the acidity from ReOx species and ZSM-5 are conducive to the cleavage of CO bond. The synergistic effects of ReOx and Brønsted acid sites induced Ru0 species to be electron-deficient, which preferred to adsorb aldehyde group in a linear adsorption configuration and facilitated for the hydrogenation of the aldehyde intermediate to alcohol, followed by dehydration to produce hydrocarbons. Thus, RuRe/ZSM-5(18) catalyst presented superior activity and chemoselectivity in the hydrodeoxygenation of methyl laurate as well as a series of fatty acids and esters without loss in carbon numbers in reactant.

PtPdCoNiCu/TiO2 High-Entropy alloy catalyst for synthesis of γ-Butyrolactone by selective hydrogenation of maleic anhydride

The continuous flow selective hydrogenation of maleic anhydride (MA) to γ-butyrolactone (GBL) over highly efficient and long-term stable catalysts is a considerable promising strategy for both lab-scale as well as industrial application. In this work, a PtPdCoNiCu/TiO2 high-entropy alloy (HEA) catalyst is developed by the colloidal impregnation method, in which the HEA colloids are synthesized by lithium naphthalenide-driven reduction at mild conditions according to the redox potential of the various metals. The PtPdCoNiCu/TiO2 catalyst exhibits highly efficient in the hydrogenation of MA with 91 % selectivity to GBL at full conversion of MA under the weighted hourly space velocity of 1.14 h−1, 3 MPa H2, and 260 °C. Due to the present of oxygen vacancy in the TiO2 support and the hydrogen spillover, the PtPdCoNiCu/TiO2 HEA catalyst presents a low apparent activation energy (75 kJ mol−1), boosting the hydrogenolysis of C=O bonds for generating of GBL. The cocktail effect is presented in the PtPdCoNiCu/TiO2 catalyst, and its catalytic activity is much better than that of corresponding monometallic and bimetallic catalysts. It realizes the reduction and substitution of precious metal catalysts. In addition, the PtPdCoNiCu/TiO2 catalyst with sintering resistance and acid resistance shows excellent long-term stability within 132 h. This work is of great significance for understanding HEA catalysis at the atomic level and provides the possibility for developing low-cost and efficient precious metal industrial catalysts.

Hydrodeoxygenation of lignin-derived phenols into cycloalkanes by atomically dispersed Pt-polyoxometalate catalysts

We report atomically dispersed Pt sites anchored on polyoxometalate cesium salts as robust and durable catalysts for upgrading lignin into hydrocarbons at relatively mild conditions. Experimental results and DFT calculations cross-validate the catalytic performance, considering the porosity, acidity, H2 storage capacity, and HOMO-LUMO energy gap of these catalysts. The optimal Pt0.4/CsPW-H2 catalyst enables the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of a diverse range of lignin-derived phenolics into hydrocarbons with up to 97% yield at the conditions of 150 °C and 0.1–2 MPa H2. A lignin oil from the reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF) of Eucalyptus wood can be transformed into cyclohexanes with a 32.7 wt% yield under a solvent-free condition. This catalyst demonstrates excellent reusability in the HDO of 4-propyl guaiacol for 20 cycles, achieving a 15095 molpropylcyclohexane molPt−1 total turnover number (TON). This work broadens the horizons of designing highly efficient catalytic systems aimed at sustainably producing liquid fuels from lignin.

Catalysts Based on Ni and Mg Oxides for the One‐Pot Production of High Added‐Value Products from Furfural

AbstractA family of NiO‐MgO samples with Ni/Mg molar ratio between 0.10 and 0.30 are synthesized by co‐precipitation and subsequent calcination. The characterization of the samples show the formation of a solid solution with a periclase structure in such a way that the Ni2+species are poorly reducible. After the reduction of the NiO‐MgO samples at 500 °C, the catalysts are tested in the furfural (FUR) hydrogenation to obtain valuable products in a one‐pot reaction. The catalysts are highly selective toward tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA) with a yield above 50% in most cases as well as 1,2‐pentanediol (1,2‐PeD) and 1,5‐pentanediol (1,5‐PeD) with maximum yield of 22 and 23% after 22 h of reaction at 170 °C and 4 MPa of H2, respectively. The present work also suggests the presence of two routes in the furfuryl hydrogenation. The first one is associated with the reduction of furfural to furfuryl alcohol (FOL) and the hydrogenation of the ring yielding THFA. In the second route, once FOL is formed, the furanic ring is open to form 1,2‐PeD and 1,5PeD.

Boosting the selective hydrogenation of biphenyl to cyclohexylbenzene over bimetallic Ni-Ru/SiO2 catalyst via enhancing strong metal-support interaction

Tuning the metal-support interaction (MSI) between highly dispersed nanosized metal particles and the support plays a pivotal role in the activity and selectivity of polyaromatics selective hydrogenation. In this work, the supported bimetallic Ni-Ru/SiO2-SEA catalyst was prepared by a strong electrostatic adsorption (SEA) strategy, and applied for the selective hydrogenation of biphenyl (BP) to cyclohexylbenzene (CHB). Compared to the catalysts prepared by the conventional incipient wetness impregnation method and Ni/SiO2-SEA, the significant effects of MSI and hydrogen spillover on Ni-Ru/SiO2-SEA facilitated the highly exposed and uniformly dispersed electron-deficient Niδ+ (0 < δ < 2) species, which could enhance adsorption and activation of the electron-withdrawing phenyl group and H2, thereby promoting the efficient and selective conversion of BP to CHB. At the conditions of 160 ℃ and 2 MPa H2 pressure, BP conversion over Ni-Ru/SiO2-SEA reached nearly 100 % within 3 h, achieving a remarkable selectivity of 97.9 % towards CHB, along with a high turnover frequency of 2756.9 h−1 for the active metallic Ni sites. Importantly, according to the kinetic simulations, the hydrogenation rate constant of Ni-Ru/SiO2-SEA was the highest (2.76 × 10-2 mol·g−1·h−1) among the employed catalysts. Moreover, after six consecutive cycles, no obvious decline in hydrogenation efficiency was observed, confirming the remarkable activity and stability of Ni-Ru/SiO2-SEA. Furthermore, the activation of BP and desorption of CHB pathway on the Niδ+ species were elaborated through temperature-programmed desorption characterization, highlighting the prominent contribution of MSI in enhancing the selective hydrogenation of polyaromatics.

Improved nickel nanocatalysts for selective cleavage of lignin model compounds and lignin

The selective hydrogenolysis of lignin offers a promising avenue for converting lignin into valuable chemicals and fuels. However, the development of highly active catalysts for this process remains challenging. In this study, a series of Nix/Al2O3 catalysts were synthesized by calcining and reducing layered double hydroxides (LDHs) precursors. These catalysts were evaluated for their effectiveness in catalyzing the conversion of lignin-derived model compounds (2-phenoxy-1-phenylethanol and diphenyl ether). Remarkably, the optimized Ni3/Al2O3 catalyst demonstrated exceptional performance in cleaving C–O bonds, achieving complete conversion with high selectivity for monomers product under reaction conditions of 200 °C, 1 MPa H2, and 1 h. The catalyst's outstanding performance can be attributed to its relatively large specific surface area, Ni loading exceeding 50 wt%, well-dispersed Ni metal particles, abundant surface oxygen vacancies, and a significant number of acid sites. Additionally, the hydrogenolysis of lignin using the Ni3/Al2O3 catalyst resulted in a substantial production of monophenols (15.0 wt%). This study introduces a novel approach for tailoring highly active Ni nanocatalysts and highlights the capability of Nix/Al2O3 catalysts to efficiently cleave C–O bonds in lignin under mild reaction conditions.

Ultrasonic in-situ reduction preparation of SBA-15 loaded ultrafine RuCo alloy catalysts for efficient hydrogen storage of various LOHCs

SBA-15-loaded RuCo alloy nanoparticle catalysts (RuxCoy/S15-SU) for the efficient catalysis of hydrogen storage by various liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) were prepared via strong electrostatic adsorption (SEA)-ultrasonic in-situ reduction (UR) technology. The above prepared catalysts were subjected to a series of characterization, such as XPS, H2-TPD/TPR, N2 adsorption–desorption, ICP, CO-chemisorption, FT-IR, XRD and TEM. Ru3+ and Co2+ were evenly anchored on the surface of SBA-15 by SEA, and ultrafine RuCo alloy nanoparticles were formed by UR without any chemical reducing or stabilizing agents. The addition of Co enhanced the dispersion and antioxidant capacity of the RuCo alloy NPs with an average particle size of 2.07 nm and increased the number of catalytically active sites. The synergistic effect of ultrafine particle size and electron transfer between Co and Ru improved the catalytic performance of monobenzyltoluene (MBT) for hydrogen storage. SEA-UR technology strengthened the coordination effect between RuCo alloy NPs and Si-OH, which enhanced the catalytic stability. H2-TPD and H2-TPR indicated that the addition of Co led to more activated H2 to produce hydrogen overflow. For the hydrogenation of MBT, the produced Ru2Co1/S15-SU showed excellent catalytic performance. The hydrogen storage efficiency of MBT was 99.98 % under 110 °C and 6 MPa H2 for 26 min, and the TOF was 145 min−1, which is significantly superior to that of Ru/S15-SU catalyst and that reported in the literature. The hydrogen storage efficiency was still as high as 99.7 % after ten cycles, which was much better than that of Ru/S15-SU and commercial 5 wt% Ru/Al2O3. Ru2Co1/S15-SU is also suitable for efficiently catalyzing hydrogen storage of N-ethylcarbazole, dibenzyltoluene and acenaphthene.