Interfacial Strong Metal-Support Interaction over Ni/CeO2 for Hydrodeoxygenation of Guaiacol to Phenols

Abstract The hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of guaiacol demonstrates significant potential for the efficient conversion of biomass into biofuels and fine chemicals. In this work, a Ni/CeO2 catalyst was synthesized via a combined hydrothermal and pyrolysis method; the catalytic performance of the material was evaluated, with a water-glycerol mixture employed as the in situ hydrogen donor. Under the optimal conditions of 280 °C and 6 h, the guaiacol conversion reached 56.71%, and the catalyst maintained a conversion rate close to 50% after four consecutive uses, showing excellent reusability. Combined with product distribution and characterization results, the HDO reaction pathways and mechanisms of guaiacol over Ni/CeO2 were proposed. Metallic Ni active sites, oxygen vacancies, and surface acid sites exerted a synergistic effect to modulate the cleavage of C–O bonds and product selectivity. This study provides a feasible strategy for the selective conversion of guaiacol into high-value phenols.