MoO3 is an effective catalyst for the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of lignin-derived oxygenates to generate high yields of aromatic hydrocarbons without ring-saturated products.

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Transformational catalytic performance in rate and selectivity is obtainable through catalysts that change on the time scale of catalytic turnover frequency. In this work, dynamic catalysts are defined in the context and history of forced and passive dynamic chemical systems, with classification of unique catalyst behaviors based on temporally-relevant linear scaling parameters. The conditions leading to catalytic rate and selectivity enhancement are described as modifying the local electronic or steric environment of the active site to independently accelerate sequential elementary steps of an overall catalytic cycle. These concepts are related to physical systems and devices that stimulate a catalyst using light, vibrations, strain, and electronic manipulations including electrocatalysis, back-gating of catalyst surfaces, and introduction of surface electric fields via solid electrolytes and ferroelectrics. These catalytic stimuli are then compared for capability to improve catalysis across some of the most important chemical challenges for energy, materials, and sustainability. File list (2) download file view on ChemRxiv Perspective_Manuscript_ChemRxiv.pdf (3.88 MiB) download file view on ChemRxiv Perspective_Supporting_Information_ChemRxiv.pdf (149.75 KiB)

Vapor-phase hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of anisole was investigated at 593 K and H2 pressures of ≤1 bar over supported MoO3/ZrO2 catalysts with MoO3 loadings ranging from 1 to 36 wt % (i.e., 0.5–23.8 Mo/nm2). Reactivity studies showed that HDO activity increased proportionally with MoO3 coverage up to a monolayer coverage (∼15 wt %) over the ZrO2 surface. Specific rates declined for catalysts with high loadings exceeding the monolayer coverage, because of a decreasing amount of redox-active species, as confirmed by oxygen chemisorption experiments. For low catalyst loadings (1 and 5 wt %), the selectivities toward fully deoxygenated aromatics were 13 and 24% on a C-mol basis, respectively, while at intermediate and high loadings (10–36 wt %), the selectivity was ∼40%. Post-reaction characterization of the spent catalysts using X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the catalysts with 25 and 36 wt % MoO3 loadings were over-reduced, as evidenced by the prevalence of Mo4+ and Mo3+ oxidation states summing to 54 and 67%, respectively. In contrast, catalysts with low and intermediate Mo loadings exhibited a prevalence of Mo6+ species (∼60%). We hypothesize that Mo5+ species are more easily stabilized in oligomeric and isolated forms over the zirconia support. The catalysts with intermediate loadings feature HDO and alkylation rates higher than those of catalysts with low loadings because the latter feature a higher proportion of isolated species. Once the monolayer coverage is exceeded, MoO3 crystallites are formed, which can undergo facile reduction to less reactive MoO2.