In
this work, the hierarchical pore HZSM-5 zeolite was synthesized
by the method of alkali treatment, and the bimetallic loading of Mo
and Cu was investigated for the hydrothermal aromatization of stearic
acid. After alkali treatment, the pore size of HZSM-5 increased, but
the acid sites decreased. The metal loading reintroduced the Lewis
acid sites, greatly increasing the ratio to Brönsted acid sites.
Therefore, the treated catalyst achieved higher hydrothermal stability
while maintaining the high activity of hydrothermal aromatization
of stearic acid. Mo0.02Cu0.01/Z-0.2M achieved
excellent activity in the stearic acid hydrothermal aromatization
with a high overall TEX (toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) yield
of 50.19 wt %, including 10.30 wt % toluene, 3.82 wt % ethylbenzene,
and 36.07 wt % xylene. In addition, Mo0.02Cu0.01/Z-0.2M still showed excellent catalytic activity while applied in
the system of the simulated microalgal bio-oil. As the reactant changed
to the mixture of stearic acid and hexadecanamide, an overall TEX
yield of 34.11 wt % was obtained at 450 °C. These results demonstrate
the excellent hydrothermal aromatization ability of the MoCu-supported
hierarchical pore ZSM-5 zeolite, which provides the potential to produce
value-added chemicals from algal biomass.