Biomass derived carbohydrates are promising and sustainable sources of fuels and chemical feedstocks, which need to be upgraded to remove oxygen-containing hydrocarbons (C-O bond breaking reactions). Although supported noble metal catalysts are known to be efficient in hydrodeoxygenation, they exhibit low selectivity with undesirable C-C bond breaking reactions. This study demonstrates that addition of Mo to Pt dramatically and synergistically improves catalytic performance in acetic acid hydrodeoxygenation. Even at a small concentration of added Mo, Pt-Mo bimetallic catalysts exhibit improved activities and selectivities. Pt, Mo and Pt-Mo catalysts were characterized with multiple techniques, including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (STEM/EDS), synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) as well as with in situ X-ray absorption near edge structure/extended X-ray absorption fine structure (XANES/EXAFS). Kinetic testing and catalyst characterization results were interpreted with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The results show that while Mo atoms are catalytically inactive, they serve as anchoring sites for adsorption of oxygen atoms in hydrocarbon molecules and, thus, improve catalytic properties of neighboring Pt atoms.<br/>

Kinetic insights into the sites requirements and mechanisms of acetic acid hydrodeoxygenation over Pt and PtMo catalysts

2019 Fall National Meeting

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