Co-pyrolysis induced strong metal-support interaction in N-doped carbon supported Ni catalyst for the hydrogenolysis of lignin

[Display omitted] •Phase change of melamine induced the nitrogen atoms into aromatic carbon.•Metal-support interaction was significantly improved with assistance of N atoms.•N-doped carbon supported Ni possessed a lower activation energy of C-O bond.•Ni@NC-800 exhibited the best catalytic activity in the hydrogenolysis of lignin. Designing highly active and stable catalysts for the selective cleavage of the C-O bond of lignin is important to convert it into high-valued aromatic compounds. Herein, a facile synthetic strategy was developed using melamine as a soft template to prepare a highly active catalyst consisting of highly dispersed Ni nanoparticles on defective N-doped carbon support. The results indicated that the decomposition of melamine during the pyrolysis process induced the nitrogen atoms into aromatic carbon. The introduction of N-doped carbon support acted as anchor points for the Ni nanoparticles, strengthening the metal-support interaction. Approximately 100 conversion of the representative lignin model compounds, including 2-phenylethyl phenyl ether, were converted into their aromatic monomers under mild conditions. The as-prepared catalyst was stable and reusable after five cycles with no apparent signs of deactivation. Moreover, the theoretical calculation revealed that N-doped carbon supported Ni-based catalyst possessed a lower activation energy of C-O bond than only carbon supported Ni-based catalyst for the C-O bond cleavage in hydrogenolysis of lignin and its model compounds.