Nickel Loaded on Porous Activated Carbons Derived from Waste Sugar Residue with Superior Catalytic Hydrogenolysis Performance

Catalytic hydrogenolysis of the aromatic ether C–O bond is a meaningful step in the appreciation of lignin-related compounds. Carbon supports in heterogeneous reactions are widely used due to low cost and high porosity. The waste sugar residue (WSR) obtained by drying the waste liquid from a productive process of vitamins is the dominant precursor to make porous activated carbon (PAC) due to abundant solid content and low ash content. Herein, a series of PACs were prepared by the WSR and then loaded with Ni for the conversion of diphenyl ether. PAC-600-700-2.5 obtained by adjusting the preparation conditions owned the highest surface area (3220 m2/g), and the prepared Ni/PAC-600-700-2.5 catalyst possessed stronger hydrogen adsorption capacity. The resulting Ni/PAC-600-700-2.5 achieved the 100% conversion of diphenyl ether under extremely mild conditions (160 °C and 0.5 h). The remarkable catalytic activity of Ni/PAC-600-700-2.5 was owed to the rational pore structure of PAC-600-700-2.5, which enabled better dispersion of Ni on the support and produced more Ni0.