Highly active and stable Ni–W/SiO2 catalyst derived from W incorporated on Ni phyllosilicate for deoxygenation of triglycerides into green biofuel range hydrocarbons

Abstract

Highly active and stable Ni–W/SiO₂ catalyst derived from W incorporated into Ni phyllosilicate (Ni-PS) was prepared by the ammonia evaporation (AE) method, and benchmarked with the catalyst prepared by the impregnation method (IM). Their catalytic activities were evaluated for deoxygenation of triglycerides into green biofuel-range hydrocarbons. The Ni-PS structure demonstrated a large surface area with strong interaction between Ni²⁺ and SiO₂, resulting from the incorporation of Ni²⁺ into the silica framework, which led to highly dispersed Ni⁰ after H₂ reduction. Additionally, the H₂ adsorption and desorption capabilities, together with a substantial quantity of Lewis acid sites, were advantageous features of Ni-PS catalysts compared to Ni-IM and 5 W/Ni-IM catalysts. Ex situ and in situ structural characterizations revealed the generation of Ni⁰ and W⁰ states, along with remaining W⁴⁺ species after H₂ reduction. The 5 W/Ni-AE catalyst exhibited stable performance up to 60 h on stream, producing consistent yields of 30 % jet fuel and 40 % diesel, which was attributed to its high porosity, small Ni⁰ particle sizes, enhanced H₂ adsorption–desorption capacities, and abundant Lewis acid sites. Consequently, the heterogeneous 5 W/Ni-AE catalyst shows significant practical relevance for generating green biofuel from oil-derived feedstock in sustainable biorefineries.