Co3Mo3N as an alternative for noble-metal catalysts in hydrodeoxygenation of methyl palmitate to diesel range hydrocarbons

Abstract

Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of fatty triglycerides into diesel range hydrocarbons over non-noble-metal catalysts is highly desirable for effectively solving the problems of energy depletion and carbon emission. In this study, the most efficient catalytic system (Co₃Mo₃N) achieves almost complete conversion of methyl palmitate (MPA, a typical ester exchange product of palmitic acid triglyceride and methanol) (99.5%) with 95.0% selectivity to hexadecane under mild conditions, which is attributed to the synergistic interactions between Co and Mo nitrides, forming a unique dual-site configuration of the Co₃Mo₃N catalyst. The reaction kinetics analysis shows that HDO instead of decarboxylation/decarbonylation is the primary reaction route for the hydrogenation of MPA over the Co₃Mo₃N catalyst. Significantly, Co₃Mo₃N exhibits good stability for 72 h. These results suggest that the highly efficient cobalt-molybdenum bimetallic catalyst with an optimized fine structure and electronic coordination environment could achieve the production of clean fuels from the HDO of fatty acids/esters.