Catalysts for Hydrodesoxygenation (HDO) of Bio-Oil

Coordinator
Martin Schmal

One of the disadvantages of biodiesel precursor bio-oils is the high load of oxygenated compounds that decrease their combustion power, reducing their efficiency and making their large scale use unfeasible. In this context, the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) process is relevant, since it eliminates these compounds through a catalytic reaction and therefore increases the calorific power of the fuel. The main objectives of this work are to evaluate the metal dispersion of copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) promoters supported on graphene, and to assess the influence of these catalysts on the hydrodeoxygenation reaction of bio-oil, employing guaiacol as a model molecule.