Catalysts useful in transforming biomass to bio-oil are disclosed, as are methods for making such catalysts, and methods of transforming biomass to bio-oil. The catalysts are especially useful for, but are not limited to, microwave- and induction-heating based pyrolysis of biomass, solid waste, and other carbon containing materials into bio-oil. The catalysts can also be used for upgrading the bio-oil to enhance fuel quality.

Disclosed are a complex oxide catalyst for dehydrogenation, a method of preparing the same, and use thereof, wherein the catalyst includes a first transition metal selected from the group consisting of gallium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc, a hydrogen-activating metal including at least one selected from the group consisting of Groups 8, 9, 10, and 11 elements in a periodic table, and alumina, the amount of the first transition metal being 0.1 wt % to 20 wt %, the amount of the hydrogen-activating metal being 0.01 wt % to 2 wt %, based on the amount of the alumina, the first transition metal being loaded on the alumina, and the hydrogen-activating metal being surrounded by the alumina.

A method of immobilizing a metal catalyst in a porous support includes additively forming a precursor structure on a substrate from a metal catalyst and at least one of a metal oxide or a metal cluster compound; exposing the precursor structure to a vapor of an organic linker; and reacting the at least one of the metal oxide or the metal cluster compound in the precursor structure with the organic linker to form a porous support that immobilizes the metal catalyst.

A silver impregnation solution comprising: (i) silver ions, (ii) a silver concentration enhancer selected from at least one ammonium salt having an anionic component that is thermally decomposable; or at least one amino acid, or a combination thereof, (iii) at least one organic amine; and (iv) water; wherein said components (i)-(iii) are dissolved in said impregnation solution, and oxalic acid may or may not be included. The silver impregnation solution can achieve significantly higher silver concentrations, including at least or above 33, 34, or 35 wt %. Methods for producing a silver catalyst by silver impregnation of a refractory support followed by calcination are also described. The resulting silver catalysts possess high silver loadings of typically at least 17, 18, or 19 wt %.

Methods of sulfurizing metal containing particles in the absence of hydrogen are described. One method includes contacting a bed of metal containing particles with a gaseous stream comprising hydrogen sulfide and inert gas under reaction conditions sufficient to produce sulfided metal containing particles. The gaseous stream is introduced into a vertical reactor at an inlet positioned at the bottom portion of the reactor and any unreacted hydrogen sulfide and inert gas is removed at an outlet positioned above the inlet. The sulfided metal containing particles can be removed from the reactor and stored.

A catalyst for oxidising ammonia comprises a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst and a composite heterogeneous extruded honeycomb having longitudinally extending parallel channels, which channels being defined in part by channel walls having a total longitudinal length, wherein the channel walls comprise a pore structure including a periodic arrangement of porous cells embedded in an inorganic matrix component, at least some of which porous cells are defined at least in part by an active interface layer of a catalytically active material comprising a precious metal supported on particles of a support material.

Provided is a composition comprising a ceria-zirconia mixed oxide, the ceria-zirconia mixed oxide being surface-modified with a perovskite type compound of formula (I); wherein formula (I) is defined by A.sub.x-yA.sub.yB.sub.1-zB.sub.zO.sub.3; where: A is an ion of a metal selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Cs, Mg, Sr, Ba, Ca, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, and Gd; A is an ion of a metal selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Cs, Mg, Sr, Ba, Ca, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, and Gd; B is an ion of a metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Mn, Mo, Co, Fe, Ni, Cr, Ti, Zr, Al, Ga, Sc, Nb, V, W, Bi, Zn, Sn, Pt, Rh, Pd, Ru, Au, Ag, and Ir; B is an ion of a metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Mn, Mo, Co, Fe, Ni, Cr, Ti, Zr, Al, Ga, Sc, Nb, V, W, Bi, Zn, Sn, Pt, Rh, Pd, Ru, Au, Ag, and Ir; x is from 0.7 to 1; y is from 0 to 0.5; and z is from 0 to 0.5.

A technique may produce a composite at a low temperature by a reducing agent that is easy to handle. A technique may produce a composite in which a metal simple substance or a metal oxide derived from reduced cations, or both of them are supported on a carrier. The technique may include at least: preparing a liquid phase mixture containing at least an alcohol compound as a first reducing agent, a phosphinic acid or a salt thereof as a second reducing agent, the carrier, and a source compound of one or more cations selected including Au, Ag, Cu, Pt, Rh, Ru, Re, Pd, and/or Ir; and reducing the cations in the liquid phase mixture.

Provided is a composition comprising alumina, the alumina being surface-modified with a perovskite type compound of formula (I); wherein formula (I) is defined by A.sub.x-yA.sub.yB.sub.1-z B.sub.zO.sub.3; where: A is an ion of a metal selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Cs, Mg, Sr, Ba, Ca, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, and Gd; A is an ion of a metal selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Cs, Mg, Sr, Ba, Ca, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, and Gd; B is an ion of a metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Mn, Mo, Co, Fe, Ni, Cr, Ti, Zr, Al, Ga, Sc, Nb, V, W, Bi, Zn, Sn, Pt, Rh, Pd, Ru, Au, Ag, and Ir; B is an ion of a metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Mn, Mo, Co, Fe, Ni, Cr, Ti, Zr, Al, Ga, Sc, Nb, V, W, Bi, Zn, Sn, Pt, Rh, Pd, Ru, Au, Ag, and Ir; x is from 0.7 to 1; y is from 0 to 0.5; and z is from 0 to 0.5.

The present invention provides titania particles which are formed by providing a titania sol and spray drying the titania sol. A morphology of the dried titania particles is controlled by producing the titania sol from a TiO.sub.2 containing slurry and controlling the pH of the slurry to be 3 pH units or more from the iso-electric point of the titania by adding a peptizing agent to reduce an extent to which the titania sol is flocculated, or by producing the titania sol from a TiO.sub.2 containing slurry and adjusting the iso-electric point to be 3 pH units or more from the pH of the slurry by adding a dispersant to reduce an extent to which the titania sol is flocculated. The titania particles have a continuous exterior convex surface, a diameter of 30 m or less, a BET specific surface area of 50 m.sup.2/g or more, and are porous.