Tuning cellulose pyrolysis chemistry: Selective decarbonylation via catalyst-impregnated pyrolysis

Widespread adoption of biomass pyrolysis for lignocellulosic biofuels is largely hindered by a lack of economical means to stabilize the bio-oil (or pyrolysis oil) product. In this work, impregnation of supported metal catalysts provides a new approach to selectively decarbonylate primary pyrolysis products within intermediate cellulose liquid to targeted gasoline-like molecules with enhanced energy content and stability. Selective deoxygenation of hydroxy-methylfurfural (HMF) and furfural (F) to 88% yield of stable furans occurred over carbon-supported Pd, with negligible loss in overall bio-oil yield or furanic content.