Preparation of Nitrogen-Doped Carbon-Supported Co-V Catalyst for Catalystic Depolymerization of Lignin to Produce Monophenolic Compounds
Journal Title: Energy Environmental Protection - Year 2025, Vol 39, Issue 2
Abstract
Lignin, a renewable biomass component, holds promise as a fossil fuel alternative through its depolymerization into monophenolic compounds for liquid fuel production. However, its complex chemical structure presents significant challenges to efficient degradation. This study addresses this limitation by developing a nitrogen-doped carbon-supported Co-V catalyst, synthesized using cobalt nitrate hexahydrate, ammonium metavanadate, and melamine as precursors. The synthesis capitalized on vanadium-nitrogen coordination and the inherent stability of vanadium nitride, eliminating the need for an external carbon source. By regulating the mass ratio of melamine to metal salts, the structural morphology and the types and contents of Co and N in the catalyst were precisely controlled. The optimized Co1-V3/NC (30) catalyst exhibited abundant defect sites, a high specific surface area, large pore volume, and hierarchical porous structure comprising micropores, mesopores, and macropores. The catalyst also featured a high content of pyridinic nitrogen and metallic cobalt (Co0), along with a relatively low content of Co-Nx species. Synergistic interactions between the active components Co0 and V3+, coupled with nitrogen-mediated anchoring, ensured uniform dispersion of active sites, thereby enhancing catalytic activity and stability. Under optimized reaction conditions (180 â, 0.5 MPa O2, 8 h), the catalyst achieved 86.3% bio-oil yield and 28.8% monophenolic compounds from organosolv lignin. Notably, Co1-V3/NC (30) outperformed commercial catalysts (Co1-V3/AC and Co1-V3/ZSM-5), demonstrating the critical role of nitrogen-doped carbon in anchoring and dispersing metal active components. 2D-HSQC NMR analysis confirmed the catalystâ²s exceptional activity in cleaving both CâO and CâC bonds between lignin structural units, enabling efficient degradation into monophenolic compounds. Mechanistic investigations using a β-1 lignin model compound (diphenylethanone) revealed that the cleavage of CαâCβ bonds proceeds via two pathways: (1) O2 is reduced on the catalyst surface to generate reactive oxygen species, which coordinates with the CβâH bond to form a peroxide intermediate. This intermediate undergoes dimerization to benzil, followed by CαâCβ bond cleavage; (2) alternatively, homolytic cleavage of the peroxide OâO bond generates oxygen-centered radicals, directly breaking the CαâCβ bond. Structural characterization via X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed that the catalyst retained its crystalline structure, high surface area, and hierarchical porosity, even after five reuse cycles. Notably, active components (Co0 and V3+) remained uniformly dispersed without aggregation, contributing to sustained catalytic performance. This work provides a scalable synthesis strategy for robust, low-cost catalysts and elucidates a reaction pathway for lignin-to-aromatic conversion, thereby advancing biomass utilization in renewable energy. These findings underscore the potential of Co-V-NC systems to replace fossil-derived catalysts for sustainable chemical production.
Authors and Affiliations
Yuqiao MA,Xingwang LIU,Yong QIAN,Xinping OUYANG,
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP764932
- DOI 10.20078/j.eep.20240403
- Views 15
- Downloads 0
Research progress of biomass activated carbon regeneration technology
Biomass activated carbon regeneration technology is widely used for environmental treatment and resource recovery. Various regeneration methods are available, including thermal, chemical, microwave, electrochemical, biol...
Fabrication of Highly Dispersed Cu/α-FeOOH via Green Rust and Its Application in Hydrogenation of Methyl Palmitate
Fatty alcohols are important chemical raw materials in modern industry and are widely used in cosmetics, household chemicals, pesticides, and fine chemicals. They are considered highly valuable in industry. They are prim...
Photocatalysis CO_2 reduction reaction to C_(2+) products catalyst and conversion fundamental mechanisms: A review
Traditional industrial processes, especially those that rely on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, result in high levels of CO_2 emissions. Capturing and utilizing CO_2 from industrial flue gas has become a top prio...
Research progress of chloride salt as heat transfer fluid in concentrating solar power plant
Solar energy is the most abundant clean renewable energy on the surface of earth. Solar energy utilization is the most important part of the global renewable energy development strategy. Coupling concentrating solar powe...
Risk effects among China′s carbon market, energy market, and high emission industries: Based on TVP-VAR-DY model
Under the consensus to address national climate change with low-carbon development, it is imperative to include other high-emission sectors in the national carbon market after the electricity market. This study investiga...