연구홍보포털

논문 초록 (Abstract)

The selective conversion of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) into even-numbered paraffins remains a fundamental challenge, since conventional deoxygenation catalysts promote hydrodeoxygenation alongside decarbonylation or decarboxylation pathways, thereby producing both even- and odd-numbered hydrocarbons. Here, we demonstrate that a noble-metal-free Cu–Zn/γ-Al2O3 catalyst, rationally designed to integrate hydrogenation and dehydration functionalities, enables a cascade reaction pathway that selectively produces even-numbered n-paraffins from FAMEs. Under high-pressure hydrogen, methyl laurate is sequentially converted through aldehyde and alcohol intermediates, followed by dehydration to α-olefins and subsequent hydrogenation to paraffins. Detailed product analysis reveals that Cu–Zn sites catalyze efficient hydrogenation, while moderate Lewis acidity of γ-Al2O3 promotes alcohol dehydration without inducing excessive cracking, thereby preserving the carbon backbone. As a result, the Cu[1.5]–Zn[3]/γ-Al2O3 catalyst achieves near-complete conversion with an even-paraffin yield approaching the practical upper limit reported for FAME hydrogenation. Systematic variation of Cu–Zn loading and support textural properties establishes a clear structure–function relationship: increasing surface coverage by Cu–Zn species shifts selectivity toward fatty alcohols, whereas balanced dispersion on alumina favors completion of the dehydration–hydrogenation cascade. The catalyst maintains high performance in shaped form and demonstrates scalability in continuous bench-scale operation using soybean-oil-derived FAMEs. These results identify controlled integration of hydrogenation sites and moderate acidity as a general design principle for producing even-numbered paraffins from renewable lipid feedstocks without noble metals.