Modifying Ru/C for Selective Hydrodeoxygenation of Carbohydrate‐Rich Streams to Naphtha
(2026) ChemCatChem — Vol. 18, n° 1 (2026)
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Sels, Bert F. 
- Abstract
- Noble metals on carbon supports are promising catalysts for the hydrodeoxygenation of carbohydrate‐rich waste streams into naphtha‐range alkanes (C5‐C9), key intermediates for fuels and chemicals. Among tested catalysts, Ru/C showed the highest activity due to its oxophilicity but suffered from excessive CC cleavage, lowering C6 alkane selectivity (39 C%). Pt/C achieved higher C6 alkane selectivity (56 C%) by suppressing formation of intermediates prone to C‐C scission, though its high cost limits scalability. To improve Ru/C performance, hydrothermal pretreatments with and without H4SiW12O40 in solution were applied, boosting C6 alkane yield to 56 C% and C5‐C6 alkane yield to 66 C%, surpassing Pt/C catalysis. Ru dispersion remained intact at short residence times during pretreatment without H4SiW12O40, while surface acidity was reduced, hindering C─O cleavage. The addition of H4SiW12O40 during pretreatment restored acidity, incorporating reduced WOx species in the catalyst pores. However, excessive acid incorporation led to pore blockage and Ru oxidation to a less active RuO2 phase. These findings emphasize the need to carefully balance acidity, metal oxidation state, particle size, and support porosity to optimize naphtha production from renewable carbohydrates.
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Citations
Latine, H., Remans, A., Turkin, A., Eloy, P., Debecker, D., & Sels, B. F. (2026). Modifying Ru/C for Selective Hydrodeoxygenation of Carbohydrate‐Rich Streams to Naphtha. ChemCatChem, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/cctc.202501766 (Original work published 2026)