The Peculiar Role of Supports in the Hydrogenation of Biomass-Derived Oxygenates

Supported metal catalysts are crucial to facilitate both deoxygenation and hydrogenation upgrading of biomass-derived oxygenates. Their activity and selectivity, as well as their stability, depend not only on the nature of the active metal but also on the support used. Although the role of the support on the catalyst’s performance is frequently recognized, often only the influence of the support on the metal particle size (metal dispersion), the electronic state of the metal (metal-support interaction), or the adsorption of reactants (e.g., on the Lewis acid sites in the metal-oxide supports) are considered. Unless the supports have a pronounced (Bronsted) acidity, like zeolites, their intrinsic catalytic activity is often neglected or overlooked. The lecture will consider two common supports, namely Al₂O₃ and TiO₂, and discuss their intrinsic activity in the transformation of anisol and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, respectively.