The development of multifunctional catalysts to selectively produce in one-step processes jet fuels (around C12) and diesel (around C16-C18) from bio-oils (vegetable and especially algal oil) is still a challenge to produce next-generation biofuels. This topic is addressed here by investigating the activity of Ni based catalysts in the methyl palmitate conversion, as model test reaction. The performance of Ni/HBEA (8%wt Ni) catalysts, where mesoporosity was introduced by desilication, were compared with those of mesoporous SBA-15. It is evidenced that desilication allows to introduce selective hydrocracking functionality together with HDO (hydrodeoxygenation), the latter prevailing occurring through hydrogenation of the acid group rather than via hydrodecarboxylation.
