Enhanced Ni/W/Ti Catalyst Stability from Ti-O-W Linkage for Effective Conversion of Cellulose into Ethylene Glycol

Direct conversion of cellulose into ethylene glycol is a promising route for transforming sustainable biomass resources into high-value chemicals. Although numerous attempts have been made to exploit tungsten-based hydrogenolysis catalysts in the catalytic conversion of cellulose to ethylene glycol for high conversion rate and selectivity, maintaining catalyst stability remains challenging. Herein, we have developed a Ni-W/M catalyst with good catalytic performance and stability, which were obtained by calcining Ni-W/MIL-125(Ti) precursor. The synthesized catalyst showed good cellulose conversion rate (100%) and ethylene glycol yield (68.7%). The tungsten species was linked to the TiO2 support by Ti-O-W bonds to reduce loss of the active tungsten component. The formation of new bonds enhanced the catalyst stability and durability, enabling the catalysts to retain high catalytic activity during recycling.