Abstract
Because of its complexity, selective conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into platform chemicals presents significant challenges. Herein, we converted birch wood into high-yield lignin-derived phenolic monomers and dimers and holocellulose-derived polyols and monocarboxylic acids via a two-step cascade reaction using 0.1 wt % Pd on N-doped carbon (Pd_(0.1)/CNx) and passivated alumina-coated Ni on activated carbon (M2 @Al2O3/AC) catalysts. The catalytic fractionation of birch sawdust using Pd_(0.1)/CNX produced 11.1 wt% monomers, 5.6% dimers, and 63.4 wt% pulp-rich solid (PRS) based on feed weight. The subsequent conversion of PRS over passivated Ni2 @Al2O3/AC produced 21.6 wt% C2-C6 polyols and 7.9 wt% monocarboxylic acids. After the whole biomass conversion reaction, the Pd_(0.1)/CNx and Ni2 @Al2O3/AC catalysts were separated using their different magnetic responses and reused three times without activity loss. The structure-performance relationships of the Pd_(0.1)/CNx catalysts synthesized using different methods and effect of passivation on the performance of the Ni2 @Al2O3/AC catalyst were analyzed.
NSTL