Materials Chemistry and Catalysis

Impact of high concentration of CO and H₂O on the performance of bifunctional hydrocracking and hydroisomerisation catalysts

70% of all aviation fuel in the European Union must come from renewable resources to support the transition to Net Zero by the year 2050.[1] A very suitable way of making sustainable fuels, is by upgrading the oil obtained from bio/organic waste.

Bio-derived crudes contain a high percentage of oxygenates. The oxygen atoms from these compounds must be removed to reduce corrosivity and increase the energy density.[2] Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) is a process that removes these oxygen atoms as water with the help of hydrogen gas. However, during this hydrotreatment, the formation of CO gas and water can inhibit the catalyst’s surface, leading to reversible deactivation and shifts in selectivity. In addition to oxygen removal, the isomerisation of linear carbon chains into branched alkanes is necessary to produce high-quality fuels.[3]

It is desired to perform the HDO and the isomerisation at the same time to reduce costs. The (bifunctional) catalysts used for isomerisation consist of a metal component that performs the HDO and hydrogenation/dehydrogenation, and an solid acid site that executes the hydroisomerisation. Whether the metal nanoparticles are located on a binder/support or on the solid acid is crucial for performance of the catalyst [4,5]. Besides, minimal metal loadings can be utilised without the cost of performance [6]

HDO reaction conditions bring new challenges for the design of these bifunctional catalysts. e.g. CO and H₂O resistance. Here we explore what kind of catalysts would be the most resistant to HDO reaction products while simultaneously performing hydroisomerisation. This includes investigating different metals (noble and non-noble), the metal particle sizes and different solid acids to perform the hydroisomerisation. Besides synthesis of these catalysts, characterisation before and after catalysis is as important to observe the changes of the catalyst due to the presence of CO and H­₂O.

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This project is in collaboration with an industrial partner.

References

[1] European Commission, ReFuelEU aviation
https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-modes/air/environment/refueleu-aviation_en

[2] P.M. Mortensen et al. A review of catalytic upgrading of bio-oil to engine fuels. Applied Catalysis A: General, Volume 407, Issues 1-2, Pages 1-19 (2011)

[3] L.C.J. Smulders, P.E. de Jongh, et al. Steering the Metal Precursor Location in Pd/Zeotype Catalysts and Its Implications for Catalysis. Chemistry 2023, 5, 348-364.

[4] J. Oenema K. de Jong, et al. Influence of Nanoscale Intimacy and Zeolite Micropore Size on the Performance of Bifunctional Catalysts for n-Heptane Hydroisomerization. ACS Catalysis 2020 10 (23), 14245-14257

[5] Zecevic, J., Vanbutsele, G., de Jong, K. et al. Nanoscale intimacy in bifunctional catalysts for selective conversion of hydrocarbons. Nature 528, 245–248 (2015).

[6] Kang Cheng et al., Maximizing noble metal utilization in solid catalysts by control of nanoparticle location.Science377,204-208(2022).

C.V.

2026-Present

PhD candidate in the Materials Chemistry and Catalysis group (Institute for Sustainable and Circular Chemistry) under supervision of Petra de Jongh and Pieter Bruijnincx, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.

2023 – 2025

Master Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, The Netherlands

Master Thesis: Understanding ligand binding on lanthanide doped NaYF₄. Supervised by: Ayla Dekker, Freddy Rabouw and Pieter Bruijnincx, Soft Condensed Matter and Biophysics/Organic Chemistry and Catalysis, Debye Institute/Institute for Sustainable and Circular Chemistry, Utrecht University.

Master research Internship: PtMo-based bimetallic catalysts for the hydrodeoxygenation of Anisole. A bio-oil to sustainable aviation fuel model study. Supervised by: Albert miró i Rovira, Edd Anders Blekkan and Petra de Jongh. At KinCat catalysis group, Institutt for kjemisk prosessteknologi, NTNU Trondheim Norway

2020 – 2023

Chemistry Bachelor, Utrecht University, The Netherlands

Bachelor Thesis: Developing an understanding of gas-phase mass transfer limitations with the help of Pd-based catalysts for selective hydrogenation. Supervised by: Oscar Brandt Corstius and Petra de Jongh at Materials Chemistry and Catalysis, Debye Institute of Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University.