Interfacial Strong Metal-Support Interaction over Ni/CeO2 for Hydrodeoxygenation of Guaiacol to Phenols

Abstract

Abstract The hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of guaiacol demonstrates significant potential for the efficient conversion of biomass into biofuels and fine chemicals. In this work, a Ni/CeO2 catalyst was synthesized via a combined hydrothermal and pyrolysis method; the catalytic performance of the material was evaluated, with a water-glycerol mixture employed as the in situ hydrogen donor. Under the optimal conditions of 280 °C and 6 h, the guaiacol conversion reached 56.71%, and the catalyst maintained a conversion rate close to 50% after four consecutive uses, showing excellent reusability. Combined with product distribution and characterization results, the HDO reaction pathways and mechanisms of guaiacol over Ni/CeO2 were proposed. Metallic Ni active sites, oxygen vacancies, and surface acid sites exerted a synergistic effect to modulate the cleavage of C–O bonds and product selectivity. This study provides a feasible strategy for the selective conversion of guaiacol into high-value phenols.