With the dwindling of fossil energy, much attention has been paid to the research of renewable bio-oil from lignocellulose biomass. Compared with the petroleum, the high oxygen content imparts some disadvantages to the bio-oil, such as low energy density, high viscosity, poor thermal and chemical stability. The bio-oil must be further deoxygenated to supply the conventional engine fuel. Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) is the most common and promising method to upgrade bio-oil. The development of HDO catalyst for lignocellulose bio-oil, including transition metal sulfide, phosphide, nitride and carbide, noble metal, “metal-acid” bi-functional catalyst, transition metal and amorphous alloy, is reviewed. Over transition metal sulfide, the sulfur might be replaced by oxygen from oxygenates and water, leading to the deactivation. Noble metal possesses higher HDO activity and product selectivities, whereas the high cost and less resources suppress the large-scale industrial application. Transition metal nitride, carbide and transition metal have been shown to hydrodeoxygenate bio-oil effectively, but the oxygen accumulation and carbon deposition might lead to the deactivation. Despite the high HDO activity of amorphous alloy, the thermostability is poor. However, transition metal phosphide attracts more attention, due to the high HDO activity and good stability. The support effect is summarized as surface properties and pore structure. Moreover, carbon deposition and structure damage are the main causes of catalyst deactivation. |