Hydrodeoxygenation of benzofuran and its oxygenated derivatives (2,3-dihydrobenzofuran and 2-ethylphenol) over NiMoP/Al2O3 catalyst Original Research Article

The transformation of benzofuran, 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran and 2-ethylphenol, as well as the competitive effect between furanic compounds (benzofuran and 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran) and a phenolic compound (2-propylphenol) over a sulfided NiMoP/Al2O3 catalyst were studied under a total pressure of 7 MPa at 340 °C in a fixed bed reactor. The transformation of each oxygenated compounds was carried out with or without H2S (from dimethyldisulfide). Ethylcyclohexane was already the main deoxygenated product which was obtained by hydrogenation of aromatic ring followed by dehydratation and hydrogenation reactions (HYD pathway). The formation of ethylbenzene by a direct deoxygenation (DDO) pathway was in all cases very limited. Other oxygenated products were obtained by disproportionation and isomerization reactions. A global reaction scheme of the benzofuran transformation over a NiMoP/Al2O3 sulfided catalyst was established. In addition, the inhibiting effect of benzofuran and/or 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran on the transformation of 2-ethylphenol was demonstrated. Moreover, a promoting effect of H2S on the deoxygenating rate of all oxygenated compounds was observed.