Fabrication of bimetallic hierarchical Cu-O-Zn@ZSM-5 assisting from ZIFs for selective catalytic cracking of WCOHAV to long-chain alkanes

The high-value utilization of waste cooking oil (WCO) propels the advancement of biomass energy; however, the directional conversion of high-acid-value WCO (WCOHAV) into long-chain alkane fuels remains challenging. Herein, a bimetallic hierarchical Cu-O-Zn@ZSM-5 catalyst was constructed via an in-situ encapsulation strategy, using Zn/Cu-ZIF as both a sacrificial template and a metal source. In the catalytic cracking of WCOHAV (acid value > 120 mg KOH/g), the Cu-O-Zn@ZSM-5 catalyst exhibits high activity and long-term stability. This is attributed to the cage-like anchoring effect of ZSM-5, which stabilizes the active components and effectively mitigates corrosion induced by WCOHAV. Furthermore, its hierarchical pore structure achieves a liquid phase selectivity of 91.13% toward C14-C18 hydrocarbons. This work not only provides an efficient catalytic solution for the valorization of WCOHAV but also offers a universal design strategy based on the “ZIF-assisted templating and in-situ encapsulation” approach for the rational design of multifunctional catalysts targeting complex reaction systems.