Interactions between Iron and Nickel in Fe–Ni Nanoparticles on Y Zeolite for Co-Processing of Fossil Feedstock with Lignin-Derived Isoeugenol

A set of low-cost monometallic Fe, Ni, and bimetallic Fe–Ni bifunctional H–Y-5.1 catalysts with different metal ratios were synthesized by sequential incipient wetness impregnation. The characterized in detail N2 physisorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy pyridine, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission scanning electron microscopy (TEM–SEM), magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance, photoelectron (XPS), Mössbauer measurements, temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), absorption (XAS). results revealed that introduction Fe led to a decrease strong acid sites an increase medium Brønsted sites, while Ni increased the number Lewis sites. particle size iron was approx. 5 nm, being ca. fourfold higher for nickel. XPS demonstrated content on catalyst surface compared Both measurement confirmed ferromagnetic behavior all catalysts. In addition, from XRD, TEM, XPS, XAS, magnetization suggested nanoparticle interactions, which supported modeling TPR profiles. Catalytic co-processing fossil feedstock lignin-derived isoeugenol clearly showed both product distribution activity strongly depend metals’ ratio their interactions. Key properties affected ratio, played positive role co-processing, smaller medial (<6 nm), lower metal–acid site as well presence fcc FeNi alloy structure doped Fe.