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Activated Carbon, Carbon Nanofiber and Carbon Nanotube Supported Molybdenum Carbide Catalysts for the Hydrodeoxygenation of Guaiacol

Authors :
Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez
Maxime Perdu
Robert Pace
Tonya Morgan
Mark Crocker
Source :
Catalysts, Vol 5, Iss 1, Pp 424-441 (2015)
Publication Year :
2015
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2015.

Abstract

Molybdenum carbide was supported on three types of carbon support—activated carbon; multi-walled carbon nanotubes; and carbon nanofibers—using ammonium molybdate and molybdic acid as Mo precursors. The use of activated carbon as support afforded an X-ray amorphous Mo phase, whereas crystalline molybdenum carbide phases were obtained on carbon nanofibers and, in some cases, on carbon nanotubes. When the resulting catalysts were tested in the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of guaiacol in dodecane, catechol and phenol were obtained as the main products, although in some instances significant amounts of cyclohexane were produced. The observation of catechol in all reaction mixtures suggests that guaiacol was converted into phenol via sequential demethylation and HDO, although the simultaneous occurrence of a direct demethoxylation pathway cannot be discounted. Catalysts based on carbon nanofibers generally afforded the highest yields of phenol; notably, the only crystalline phase detected in these samples was Mo2C or Mo2C-ζ, suggesting that crystalline Mo2C is particularly selective to phenol. At 350 °C, carbon nanofiber supported Mo2C afforded near quantitative guaiacol conversion, the selectivity to phenol approaching 50%. When guaiacol HDO was performed in the presence of acetic acid and furfural, guaiacol conversion decreased, although the selectivity to both catechol and phenol was increased.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20734344
Volume :
5
Issue :
1
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Catalysts
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.b5a10c80f5c44251b81f241658004e9a
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/catal5010424