Hydrodeoxygenation

Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) is a <a href="/facts/Hydrogenolysis/v8VT0Bx2">hydrogenolysis</a> process for removing <a href="/facts/Oxygen/acyn6o8r">oxygen</a> from oxygen-containing compounds. Typical HDO catalysts commonly are sulfided <a href="/facts/Nickel/KwMCHYRP">nickel</a>-<a href="/facts/Molybdenum/RX6vp2bF">molybdenum</a> or <a href="/facts/Cobalt/gqhScEw4">cobalt</a>-molybdenum on gamma <a href="/facts/Alumina/wXM9P6pI">alumina</a>. An idealized reaction is:

R
            
              2
            
            
              
            
          
          O
          +
          2
          
          
            H
            
              2
            
            
              
            
          
          ⟶
          
            H
            
              2
            
            
              
            
          
          O
          +
          2
          
          RH
        
      
    
    {\displaystyle {\ce {R2O + 2 H2 -> H2O + 2 RH}}}

The first review on HDO was published in 1983. HDO is of interest in producing <a href="/facts/Biofuels/RWu7b6Y3">biofuels</a>, which are derived from oxygen-rich precursors like sugars or lipids. An example of a biomass refining process employing hydrodeoxygenation is the <a href="/facts/NEXBTL/MH6WfU4q">NEXBTL</a> process.
HDO of biomass fast pyrolysis vapors under low hydrogen pressures have recently attracted a lot of attention. Bulk molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) was used as catalyst and found to completely deoxygenate cellulose, corn stover, and lignin pyrolysis vapors and produce a stream of hydrocarbons including aromatics, alkenes, and alkanes. From an economic viewpoint, only aromatics and alkenes should ideally be produced to enable product incorporation into the existing infrastructure.

Hydrodeoxygenation open-in-new

Hydrodeoxygenation