563. Spatial segregation of catalytic sites within Pd doped H-ZSM-5 for fatty acid hydrodeoxygenation to alkanes
Shengzhe Ding, Dario Luis Fernandez Ainaga, Min Hu, Boya Qiu, Ushna Khalid, Carmine D’Agostino, Xiaoxia Ou, Ben Spencer, Xiangli Zhong, Yani Peng, Nicole Hondow, Constantinos Theodoropoulos, Yilai Jiao, Christopher M. A. Parlett, Xiaolei Fan, Nature Communications, (2024), DOI: 10.1038/s4167-024-51925-2
Spatial control over features within multifunctional catalysts can unlock efficient one-pot cascade reactions, which are themselves a pathway to aviation biofuels via hydrodeoxygenation. A synthesis strategy that encompasses spatial orthogonality, i.e., one in which different catalytic species are deposited exclusively within discrete locations of a support architecture, is one solution that permits control over potential interactions between different sites and the cascade process. Here, we report a Pd doped hierarchical zeolite, in which Pd nanoparticles are selectively deposited within the mesopores, while acidity is retained solely within the micropores of ZSM-5. This spatial segregation facilitates hydrodeoxygenation while suppressing undesirable decarboxylation and decarbonation, yielding significant enhancements in activity (30.6 vs 3.6 moldodecane molPd-1h-1) and selectivity (C12:C11 5.2 vs 1.9) relative to a conventionally prepared counterpart (via wet impregnation). Herein, multifunctional material design can realise efficient fatty acid hydro- deoxygenation, thus advancing the field and inspiring future developments in rationalised catalyst design.