Preparation of amorphous La-Ni-Mo-B catalyst and its performance and deactivation behavior in the hydrodeoxygenation of 4-methylphenol

Amorphous La-Ni-Mo-B catalyst was prepared by chemical reduction method using NaBH₄ as a reducing agent and characterized by BET, SEM, XRD and XPS. The hydrodeoxygenation of 4-methylphenol was used as a probe reaction to test its catalytic performance. The results showed that the additive La can decrease the particle size of the catalyst, increase the surface area, and promote the reduction of Ni²+ and Mo⁶+. The hydrodeoxygenation of 4-methylphenol follows the hydrogenation-dehydration route. The conversion of 4-methylphenol and the selectivity to methylcyclohexane at 275℃ achieve 97% and 96%, respectively. The aromatic content in products is much lower than that of fuel regulation III in the world (aromatics content <15%). The deactivation of the catalyst may be mainly attributed to the destruction of its amorphous structure during reaction.