Methods for producing mesoporous zeolite multifunctional catalysts for upgrading pyrolysis oil
A method of making a multifunctional catalyst for upgrading pyrolysis oil includes contacting a hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support with a solution including at least a first metal catalyst precursor and a second metal catalyst precursor, each or both of which may include a heteropolyacid. The hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support may have an average pore size of from 2 nm to 40 nm. Contacting the hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support with the solution deposits or adsorbs the first metal catalyst precursor and the second catalyst precursor onto outer surfaces and pore surfaces of the hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support to produce a multifunctional catalyst precursor. The method further includes removing excess solution and calcining the multifunctional catalyst precursor to produce the multifunctional catalyst comprising at least a first metal catalyst and a second metal catalyst deposited on the outer surfaces and pore surfaces of the hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support.
1. A method of making a multifunctional catalyst for upgrading pyrolysis oil, the method comprising:
contacting a hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support with a solution comprising at least a first metal catalyst precursor and a second metal catalyst precursor, where:
the hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support has an average pore size of from 2 nanometers to 40 nanometers as determined by Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) analysis;
the first metal catalyst precursor, the second metal catalyst precursor, or both, comprises a heteropolyacid; and
the contacting deposits the first metal catalyst precursor and the second metal catalyst precursor onto outer surfaces and pore surfaces of the hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support to produce a multifunctional catalyst precursor;
removing excess solution from the multifunctional catalyst precursor; and
calcining the multifunctional catalyst precursor to produce the multifunctional catalyst comprising at least a first metal catalyst and a second metal catalyst deposited on the outer surfaces and pore surfaces of the hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support.
2. The method of claim 1 , in which the hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support comprises a hierarchical mesoporous beta zeolite support.
3. The method of claim 1 , in which the hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support has an average pore size of from 5 nanometers to 25 nanometers as determined by BJH analysis.
4. The method of claim 1 , in which the hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support has a total pore volume of greater than or equal to 0.35 cubic centimeters per gram.
5. The method of claim 1 , in which the hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support comprises a molar ratio of silica to alumina of from 20 to 100.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising producing the hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support.
7. The method of claim 6 , in which producing the hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support comprises converting a microporous parent zeolite into the hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support through desilication of the microporous parent zeolite.
8. The method of claim 7 , in which desilication of the microporous parent zeolite to produce the hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support comprises:
mixing the microporous zeolite with an aqueous metal hydroxide solution; and
heating the microporous zeolite and aqueous metal hydroxide mixture to a temperature of greater than or equal to 100 degrees Celsius to produce the hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support.
9. The method of claim 1 , in which the heteropolyacid comprises:
at least one metal selected from cobalt, molybdenum, vanadium, or combinations of these; and
at least one heteroatom selected from phosphorous, silicon, arsenic, or combinations of these.
10. The method of claim 1 , in which the first metal catalyst precursor comprises the heteropolyacid.
11. The method of claim 1 , in which the first metal catalyst precursor comprises a first heteropolyacid and the second metal catalyst precursor comprises a second heteropolyacid that is different from the first heteropolyacid.