Synthesis of Ni-W catalysts supported on fruit peel waste-derived carbons for the efficient ethylene glycol production from cellulose

Abstract Fruit peel waste-derived carbons synthesized from orange and banana peels by hydrothermal carbonization were employed as supports in the preparation of nickel-tungsten heterogeneous catalysts. These bimetallic catalysts were fully characterized by several techniques and evaluated for the direct conversion of cellulose into ethylene glycol (EG) in aqueous medium. The catalysts showed noteworthy activity in cellulose conversion (100%), resulting in an impressive EG yield of up to 50% over the glucose-derived carbon supported Ni-W catalyst. Furthermore, notable EG yields of around 35 and 45% were reached over orange and banana peel-derived carbon supported catalysts, respectively. The best performing catalyst was further tested in four reusability experiments, displaying excellent stability. The results obtained here are amongst the best ever reported for the one-pot cellulose conversion to EG over carbon-supported catalysts. These findings suggest that fruit peel, namely banana peel, holds great potential as a catalytic support, thus presenting a viable alternative for waste valorization in lignocellulosic biorefining. Graphical abstract Ni-W catalysts supported on fruit peel waste-based materials were efficient for the sustainable production of ethylene glycol from cellulose.