Highly Selective Alkaline Oxide Promoted Ni/silica for the Production of Cyclohexanol/‐one from Lignin‐Derived Guaiacol

Abstract

Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) is a promising route to upgrade bio‐oils from plants or pyrolysis to basic chemicals. KA‐oil (cyclohexanol/‐one) is an example of a highly valuable feedstock for the industrial synthesis of caprolactam and perlon, which can potentially be produced via a completely sustainable route. This work investigates the alkaline promotor effects on Ni‐based catalysts for the selective HDO of lignin surrogate guaiacol using mesoporous Ni/MgO and co‐impregnated Ni‐MgO/SiO2 catalysts. Due to preferred demethoxylation by alkaline oxides and their accumulation on nickel corners, responsible for dehydration, conversion, and selectivity for KA‐oil rise. Furthermore, influences of operating parameters are investigated and optimized by design of experiments (DoE), while long‐term stability (24 h) and water resistance remain high. In a final proof of concept, the application of Ni‐CaO/SiO2 was the most promising material (U=93%, S=86%), demonstrating a sustainable route from lignin‐based bio‐oil to produce a bulk commodity for caprolactam synthesis.