Synthesis of LaNiCeO₂ Mixed Oxide with Various Microcrystalline Cellulose Templated for Deoxygenation of Waste Cooking Oil

¹ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Data Analytics, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Sukolilo, Surabaya 60111, Indonesia
² Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Maritime Technology, Raja Ali Haji Maritime University, Senggarang, Tanjungpinang, 29100, Indonesia
³ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

^* Corresponding author: afifah@chem.its.ac.id

Abstract

The synthesis of LaNiCeO₂ mixed oxides utilizing varying proportions of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) (12.5%, 25%, and 37.5%) has been successfully achieved. The resulting materials were characterized through XRD, FESEM, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, and TGA- DTG. XRD analysis confirmed that all synthesized LaNiCeO₂ mixed oxides exhibited a stable CeO₂ phase. Notably, increasing the MCC content led to an improvement in the catalysts’ pore volume and surface area, with the LaNiCeO₂-12.5% MCC sample exhibiting a primarily mesoporous structure and minimal micropore contribution. The LaNiCeO₂-25% MCC catalyst demonstrated optimal physicochemical properties, indicating its high suitability for catalytic applications. The catalytic deoxygenation of waste cooking oil (WCO) was carried out in a semi-batch reactor at 380 °C for a duration of 4 hours, with a catalyst loading set at 1% of the WCO’s weight. The LaNiCeO₂-12.5% MCC catalyst exhibited exceptional deoxygenation activity, achieving a 100% conversion, a liquid product yield of 45%, and hydrocarbon selectivity of 98%. The excellent catalytic performance is due to the synergistic interaction between Ni, Ce, and La metals, combined with improved properties that promote the deoxygenation reaction. These results highlight the potential of LaNiCeO₂ as an effective catalyst for biofuel production.