Resorcinol–Formaldehyde Resin and Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Co-assisted Mesoporous TiO2 Supported Ni3Sn2 Intermetallic Compound Catalysts for In-Situ Hydrodeoxygenation of Methyl Palmitate with Methanol as the Hydrogen Donor in Water

TiO₂ supported Ni₃Sn₂ intermetallic compound (IMC) catalysts were prepared by the coprecipitation method using resorcinol–formaldehyde resin (RF) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as templates, and they were tested for in situ hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of methyl palmitate using methanol as the hydrogen donor in the aqueous phase. It has been found that introducing SDS and RF enhances specific surface area, pore volume and pore diameter and reduces the Ni₃Sn₂ IMC particles and their electronic interaction with TiO₂. In in situ HDO of methyl palmitate, the catalysts prepared with co-introducing RF and SDS exhibit higher activity than that without templates and those separately introducing RF and SDS. The catalyst activity is mainly related to the Ni₃Sn₂ IMCs particles size and the degree of the electronic interaction between Ni₃Sn₂ and TiO₂. The catalyst with introducing a suitable amount of RF and SDS gives the n-pentadecane yield of 87.3% at 330 °C, and it is slightly deactivated after reaction for five times due to carbon deposition and the sintering of Ni₃Sn₂ IMC particles.