Acetic Acid Ketonization over FeO/SiO for Pyrolysis Bio-Oil Upgrading.

A family of silica-supported, magnetite nanoparticle catalysts was synthesised and investigated for continuous-flow acetic acid ketonisation as a model pyrolysis bio-oil upgrading reaction. The physico-chemical properties of FeO/SiO catalysts were characterised by using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and porosimetry. The acid site densities were inversely proportional to the FeO particle size, although the acid strength and Lewis character were size-invariant, and correlated with the specific activity for the vapour-phase acetic ketonisation to acetone.