N/O co-doped carbon material supported Pd/Ni alloy for hydrodeoxygenation of biomass derivative

Hydrodeoxygenation of lignin derivatives is a promising way for preparation of valuable chemicals and biofuels. Herein, we report the preparation of a N/O co-doped carbon material catalyst loaded with Pd/Ni alloy (Pd₁Ni₅@CTBA-800-H₂O₂) by in-situ pyrolysis reduction with hyper-crosslinked polymers as precursors. The obtained Pd₁Ni₅@CTBA-800-H₂O₂ was investigated by N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherms, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy and so on. N/O co-doping can efficiently produce defects on the surface of carbon framework, which acted as active sites and facilitated the immobilization of metal nanoparticles as well as their dispersion in the liquid phase. Subsequent treatment with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) further improves wetting and hydrophilic properties of the carbon material. Thus, the Pd₁Ni₅@CTBA-800-H₂O₂ catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic activity and recycling performance for hydrodeoxygenation of vanillin (VL) to produce 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol (MMP) under the condition of 150 °C and 4 MPa H₂ and water as a green solvent.