Upgraded Acidic Components of Bio-oil through Catalytic Ketonic Condensation

In this paper, we proposed a novel method to upgrade the acid-rich phase of bio-oil via ketonic condensation over weak base catalysts. Most acetic acid could be transformed to acetone in model reactions, and CeO 2 was proved to be suitable as an active phase for catalyzing this reaction. The effects of water and three model components (phenol, p -methoxyphenol, and frufural) on acid transformation over four CeO 2 -based catalysts were investigated. As a result, with feeds containing water and phenols with liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) of 4 cm 3 g −1 h −1, this reaction could proceed efficiently and adequately. However, furfural deactivated catalysts significantly, and therefore, furans must be treated before this transformation.