Transformation of levoglucosan into liquid fuel via catalytic upgrading over Ni-CeO₂ catalysts

This contribution presents a viable gaseous hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) route for Levoglucosan (LG) that leads to the formation of non-oxygenated hydrocarbon cuts that make commercial transportation fuels, namely gasoline, diesel, and jet fuels. The outlined process encompasses HDO of an evaporated stream of dissolved LG over 5% Ni-CeO₂ catalysts between 100 °C–500 °C. It is found that the load of the aliphatic compounds attains values between 68.1% and 75.3% across the investigated temperature window. Similarly, fractions of aromatic compounds remain within 8.1%–13.9%. Major observed aliphatic compounds include tetradecane, dodecane, octane, and decane. Alkylated benzenes appear in appreciable quantities. Governing HDO's mechanisms were mapped out by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Utilizing a 10% load of Ni has slightly reduced the relative area of aliphatic compounds. The combined area of the oxygenated compounds remains less than 10% at all temperatures. This finding entails a profound HDO's capacity of the deployed catalyst and opens a direct venue for the effective utilization of LG in fuel production.