Applied Catalysis A: General, vol.683, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
This study aims to investigate biofuel production from biomass-derived bio-oil and examine the impact of selecting different active metals, their quantities, and synthesis procedures on biofuel selectivity. For this purpose, alumina-supported catalysts containing Zr, Co, and W were prepared using the wet impregnation method. Some physical and chemical properties of the synthesized catalysts were determined through XRD, BET, SEM/EDS, ICP-MS, TGA-DTA, and DRIFTS analysis. The activity test studies revealed that the 5Co-10Zr@MA catalyst, prepared by co-impregnation, exhibited the highest bio-oil conversion (95%) and the highest iso-paraffin selectivity (93%). XRD analysis indicated that this catalyst possess the CoAl2O4 structure, indicating the formation of an alloy between alumina and cobalt, thereby enhancing catalytic activity. The reusability tests showed that the 5Co-10Zr@MA catalyst maintained its activity over a time of 3 hours. Consequently, the utilization of mesoporous alumina-supported bimetallic catalysts has proven to be successful in the production of biofuels, achieving high conversion and selectivity.