Molecular nitrogen promotes catalytic hydrodeoxygenation

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

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Author(s)

  • Haohong Duan
  • Jin-Cheng Liu
  • Ming Xu
  • Yufei Zhao
  • Xue-Lu Ma
  • Juncai Dong
  • Xusheng Zheng
  • Jianwei Zheng
  • Christopher S. Allen
  • Mohsen Danaie
  • Titipong Issariyakul
  • Dongliang Chen
  • Angus I. Kirkland
  • Jean-Charles Buffet
  • Jun Li
  • Shik Chi Edman Tsang
  • Dermot O’Hare

Related Research Unit(s)

Detail(s)

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1078–1087
Journal / PublicationNature Catalysis
Volume2
Online published28 Oct 2019
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2019

Abstract

Although molecular dinitrogen (N2) is widely used as a carrier or inert gas for many catalytic reactions, it is rarely considered as a catalytic promoter. Here, we report that N2 could be used to reduce the activation energy for catalytic hydrodeoxygenation over ruthenium-based catalysts. Specifically, we report a 4.3-fold activity increase in the catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of p-cresol to toluene over a titanium oxide supported ruthenium catalyst (Ru/TiO2) by simply introducing 6 bar N2 under batch conditions at 160 °C and 1 bar hydrogen. Detailed investigations indicate that N2 can be adsorbed and activated on the metallic ruthenium surface to form hydrogenated nitrogen species, which offer protic hydrogen to lower the activation energy of direct carbonaromatic–oxygen bond scission and the hydrogenation of hydroxy groups. Thus, by employing different ruthenium catalysts, including Ru/TiO2, Ru/Al2O3, Ru/ZrO2 and Ru/C, we demonstrate that N2 promotion of hydrodeoxygenation can be regarded as a general strategy.

Citation Format(s)

Molecular nitrogen promotes catalytic hydrodeoxygenation. / Duan, Haohong; Liu, Jin-Cheng; Xu, Ming et al.
In: Nature Catalysis, Vol. 2, 12.2019, p. 1078–1087.

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review