The drive to decarbonize the chemical, oil, and gas industries through use of bio-derived resources is intensifying. This study focuses on converting lignin-derived phenolic compounds into cyclohexanol, a precursor for adipic acid production. The alumina hollow fiber supported cobalt catalyst (5Co/AHF@capillary) prepared by capillary action method was found to consist cobalt in both metallic and +delta oxidation states. Initial tests in a batch-mode reactor showed promising results, with 5Co/AHF@capillary catalyst demonstrating catalytic activity comparable to Ru/Al2O3 systems (225 degrees C, 1 MPa H-2, 4 h), achieving similar to 86% cyclohexanol yield in guaiacol hydrodeoxygenation reactions. The catalytic system was then adapted for continuous flow reactors under milder conditions (300 degrees C, 2.5 MPa H-2, 18 mL min(-1)), resulting in 83% guaiacol conversion and 74% cyclohexanol yield. The durability of the catalyst was checked for >80 h and results claim that catalyst was active in yielding consistent results. The roles of catalyst preparation method, hydrogen pressure, solvent, WHSV were thoroughly checked and discussed.

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