The application of water-soluble ruthenium catalysts for the hydrogenation of the dichloromethane soluble fraction of fast pyrolysis oil and related model compounds in a two phase aqueous-organic system

The hydrogenation of a dichloromethane soluble fraction of flash pyrolysis oil (bio-oil, BO), obtained by treatment of BO with a water–dichloromethane solvent mixture, was investigated using a water-soluble homogeneous ruthenium catalyst (RuCl3·3H2O/tris(m-sulfonatophenyl)phosphine, TPPTS). The catalyst is active at mild conditions