Abstract Biofuel production was conducted using model bio-oil to examine the upgrading performance of perovskite-based and metal oxide catalysts. Bare and Ce, Co, Sr, Mo, and tungstophosphoric acid-doped LaFeO3 perovskite-based catalysts were synthesized via sol–gel method. The bio-oil upgrading activity of commercial La2O3, α-Fe2O3, and α-Fe2O3/La2O3 metal oxide catalysts compared to LaFeO3-based catalyst was also investigated. Catalyst properties were characterized by XRD, TGA/DTG, N2 adsorption/desorption, SEM–EDX, FTIR, DRIFTS, and Raman techniques. Activity tests were performed at 400 °C at under atmospheric pressure. A model bio-oil mixture was formulated with hydroxy propanone/formic acid/furfural (2:4:3 mass ratio), and a dilution ratio of 30:70 (bio-oil mixture/alcohol) was applied. Ethanol and methanol were examined as co-reactants. Ethanol-assisted upgrading resulted in higher deoxygenation efficiency and enhanced iso-paraffin selectivity compared to methanol. Increasing the calcination temperature of LaFeO3 from 700 to 800 °C improved crystallinity and raised the overall bio-oil conversion from 69.4 to 83.4%. The bare LaFeO3 catalyst calcined at 800 °C exhibited high iso-paraffin selectivity (69.4 vol%) and oil-phase selectivity (80.3%). The superior upgrading performance of LaFeO3 was attributed to its orthorhombic perovskite lattice structure and mild surface acidity, favoring cracking, deoxygenation, and coke suppression. Ce-doped LaFeO3 (x = 0.1) enhanced oxygen mobility and promoted olefin selectivity resulting in the highest overall bio-oil conversion (83.8%). At higher Ce contents (x = 0.2), CeO2 side-phase formation promoted naphthene selectivity. In contrast, Sr-, Co-, and Mo-doped LaFeO3 catalysts showed higher oxygenated content. Compared with α-Fe2O3/La2O3 mixed catalyst, which exhibited 16.0 wt% coke formation, LaFeO3 showed low coke deposition (0.24 wt%). Long-term stability testing of LaFeO3 revealed only a very small amount of carbon formation (1.39 wt%) and no catalyst deactivation. Similar product distributions were obtained in both short-term and long-term tests. Graphical abstract

Biofuel production from model bio-oil: impact of perovskite-based catalysts and metal oxide mixtures on upgrading and selectivity

期刊论文
出版模式：

开放获取
发表日期：

2026年2月18日

查看全文

Merve Celik Ozcan,
Doruk Dogu,
Nuray Oktar

摘要

Abstract

Biofuel production was conducted using model bio-oil to examine the upgrading performance of perovskite-based and metal oxide catalysts. Bare and Ce, Co, Sr, Mo, and tungstophosphoric acid-doped LaFeO₃ perovskite-based catalysts were synthesized via sol–gel method. The bio-oil upgrading activity of commercial La₂O₃, α-Fe₂O_3, and α-Fe₂O₃/La₂O₃ metal oxide catalysts compared to LaFeO₃-based catalyst was also investigated. Catalyst properties were characterized by XRD, TGA/DTG, N₂ adsorption/desorption, SEM–EDX, FTIR, DRIFTS, and Raman techniques. Activity tests were performed at 400 °C at under atmospheric pressure. A model bio-oil mixture was formulated with hydroxy propanone/formic acid/furfural (2:4:3 mass ratio), and a dilution ratio of 30:70 (bio-oil mixture/alcohol) was applied. Ethanol and methanol were examined as co-reactants. Ethanol-assisted upgrading resulted in higher deoxygenation efficiency and enhanced iso-paraffin selectivity compared to methanol. Increasing the calcination temperature of LaFeO₃ from 700 to 800 °C improved crystallinity and raised the overall bio-oil conversion from 69.4 to 83.4%. The bare LaFeO₃ catalyst calcined at 800 °C exhibited high iso-paraffin selectivity (69.4 vol%) and oil-phase selectivity (80.3%). The superior upgrading performance of LaFeO₃ was attributed to its orthorhombic perovskite lattice structure and mild surface acidity, favoring cracking, deoxygenation, and coke suppression. Ce-doped LaFeO₃ (x = 0.1) enhanced oxygen mobility and promoted olefin selectivity resulting in the highest overall bio-oil conversion (83.8%). At higher Ce contents (x = 0.2), CeO₂ side-phase formation promoted naphthene selectivity. In contrast, Sr-, Co-, and Mo-doped LaFeO₃ catalysts showed higher oxygenated content. Compared with α-Fe₂O₃/La₂O₃ mixed catalyst, which exhibited 16.0 wt% coke formation, LaFeO₃ showed low coke deposition (0.24 wt%). Long-term stability testing of LaFeO₃ revealed only a very small amount of carbon formation (1.39 wt%) and no catalyst deactivation. Similar product distributions were obtained in both short-term and long-term tests.

Graphical abstract