Selective decarboxylation of biobased fatty acids using a Ni-FSM-16 catalyst

• Published in: Applied catalysis. B, Environmental Vol. 291; p. 120050
• Main Authors: Jiraroj, Duangkamon, Jirarattanapochai, Orhathai, Anutrasakda, Wipark, Samec, Joseph S.M., Tungasmita, Duangamol N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15.08.2021; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Alkanes; Alkenes; Aluminum; Carbon; Carboxylic acids; Catalysts; Decarboxylation; Fatty acid; Fatty acids; Guaiacol; Iron; Mesoporous material; Ni-FSM-16; Nickel; Palladium; Reactivity; Selectivity; Sheet material; Transition metal catalyst; Vanillic acid; Mesoporous material; Transition metal catalyst; Ni-FSM-16; Decarboxylation; Fatty acid
• ISSN: 0926-3373; 1873-3883; 1873-3883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2021.120050

[Display omitted] •Novel catalyst Ni-FSM-16 was successfully synthesized and fully characterized.•Ni-FSM-16 exhibited high efficiency in decarboxylation of biobased carboxylic acids.•Bifunctional action of the Ni-FSM-16 is proposed to give high selectivity and reactivity.•Ni-FSM-16 is promising for converting waste materials into renewable products. A novel catalyst based on nickel supported on a folded sheet material (FSM) was synthesized and fully characterized. The resulting Ni-FSM-16 catalyst showed a high reactivity and selectivity in decarboxylation of plant-based carboxylic acids to yield the corresponding linear alkenes and alkanes in up to 75 % yield and less than 5 % of undesired cracking products. In addition, lignin-derived vanillic acid was smoothly converted to guaiacol. A comparative investigation showed that both the support and the metal of the Ni-FSM-16 catalyst proved to be pivotal for the reactivity. Particularly, substituting Ni with Fe, Pd or Al or replacing the FSM-16 support with MCM-41 or SBA-15 led to lower reactivity and selectivity towards linear decarboxylated products. The superior catalytic performance of Ni-FSM-16 was driven by a higher and more even metal distribution, more acidic silanol-group and an electron-rich, thus softer Ni, that promote coordination by the carbon-carbon double-bond of the fatty acid.