On the reduction of CO footprint selective hydrodeoxygenation by ZnO-TiCT catalyst under solvent-free conditions

Biomass-derived fatty acids are essential feedstock for producing liquid fuels and value-added chemicals with significantly low CO 2 footprints. Herein, Ti 3 C 2 T x and ZnO-Ti 3 C 2 T x catalysts were synthesized and demonstrated for the selective hydrodeoxygenation reaction (HDO) of methyl oleate (MO) as a model compound. The synthesized ZnO-Ti 3 C 2 T x catalyst showed 100% conversion of MO with >90% selectivity for the HDO product (n-C18). In addition, the pure Ti 3 C 2 T x demonstrated 100% conversion with a selectivity of 67% for n-C17 hydrocarbon via the decarboxylation route. The highest reduction of CO 2 footprint is achieved at 280 °C and 30 bar H 2 pressure under solvent-free conditions using ZnO-Ti 3 C 2 T x . The catalyst is recyclable and reusable for five test cycles. The high catalytic selectivity of the ZnO-Ti 3 C 2 T x catalyst towards HDO is attributed to the synergic effect of the Ti and ZnO active sites and the thermally stable structure. This study offers an efficient route for converting edible and non-edible vegetable oils to biofuels by controlling CO 2 production. A series of ZnO-Ti 3 C 2 T x catalysts was studied first time for the catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) reaction. The catalyst exhibited complete conversion and >90% selectivity for octadecane (C-18) with 5-cycle recyclability.