With the depletion of fossil fuels, biomass becomes an important feedstock for the production of fuels, chemicals and energy. One particular form of biomass that until recently has been somewhat overlooked as an important renewable resource is lignin. Pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass will give rise to large process streams of lignin for which value-added applications have to be found. Catalytic conversion of lignin to bulk chemicals or fuel components is a scenario of considerable potential for future lignin use. Here, we focus on the conversion of a large library of lignin model compounds to obtain bulk aromatics by hydrodeoxygenation. Several monomeric models that mimic key structural features of the lignin macromolecule were used to conduct catalytic studies with a sulfided CoMo/Al2O3 catalyst. The oxygenates studied also represent a major fraction of bio-oils such as those obtained from pyrolysis processes; the results therefore also bear relevance to efforts aimed at upgrading these biocrudes. In addition to the conversion of monoaromatic model compounds, also the effect of the catalyst system on typical linkages present in lignin was studied with appropriate dimeric model compounds. More extensive studies were performed on the conversion of guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol) under different reaction conditions. Based on these reactions, which also include poisoning experiments, a more detailed insight in the influence of process parameters on the performance of a CoMo/Al2O3 as HDO catalyst is obtained.

New mechanistic insights in the CoMo sulfide-catalyzed hydrodeoxygenation of lignin model compounds

241st National Meeting (2011)

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