Ni supported on Ti-doped SBA-15 catalyst for the selective hydrodeoxygenation conversion of lignin derivatives

The development of cost-effective and efficient catalysts plays a critical role in the selective hydrodeoxygenation of lignin derivatives for lignin valorization. Herein, we reported “metal-acid” bifunctional catalysts (Ni/Ti-SBA-15) consist of Ni nanoparticles highly dispersed on Ti doped SBA-15, which achieved 100% vanillin conversion and 96.46% selectivity of 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol (MMP) under mild conditions. Characterizations were employed to reveal the morphology and physicochemical properties of the catalysts. The results indicated that doping of Ti species not only increased the number of acidic sites but also promoted the high dispersion of Ni nanoparticles on the support. This research provides a novel concept for the synthesis of cost-effective and efficient catalysts, which contributes to the environmentally friendly and economical conversion of biomass derivatives.