Inverse ceria-nickel catalyst for enhanced C–O bond hydrogenolysis of biomass and polyether

Regulating interfacial electronic structure of oxide-metal composite catalyst for the selective transformation of biomass or plastic waste into high-value chemicals through specific C-O bond scission is still challenging due to the presence of multiple reducible bonds and low catalytic activity. Herein, we find that the inverse catalyst of 4CeO_x/Ni can efficiently transform various lignocellulose derivatives and polyether into the corresponding value-added hydroxyl-containing chemicals with activity enhancement (up to 36.5-fold increase in rate) compared to the conventional metal/oxide supported catalyst. In situ experiments and theoretical calculations reveal the electron-rich interfacial Ce and Ni species are responsible for the selective adsorption of C-O bond and efficient generation of H^δ- species, respectively, which synergistic facilitate cleavage of C-O bond and subsequent hydrogenation. This work advances the fundamental understanding of interfacial electronic interaction over inverse catalyst and provides a promising catalyst design strategy for efficient transformation of C-O bond.