Catalytic aromatization of acetone as a model compound for biomass-derived oil under a methane environment

Abstract

The feasibility of upgrading acetone to fuels and valuable chemicals under a methane environment was investigated over various metal-modified zeolite catalysts at 400 °C and 3 MPa. Among these, HZSM-5 impregnated with Zn and Ga was found to produce the highest yield of BTEX in comparison to the other prepared catalysts. Catalyst characterization techniques, including XPS, NH₃-TPD and TEM, showed that the excellent metal dispersion in the inner pores of the catalyst, a balance of weak, medium and strong acid sites as well as the stable chemical states of Zn and Ga under the methane environment favoured the selectivity towards BTEX. Additionally, the presence of methane could enhance the liquid yield by incorporation into the liquid products, as evidenced by NMR spectroscopy through an isotopic-labelling study. These findings lead to a better understanding of the interaction and reaction mechanism involved in the upgrading of biomass-derived ketones under a methane environment for production of fuels and valuable chemicals, which could potentially contribute to a cost-effective substitution of petroleum-derived chemicals and fuels for biomass-derived products.