DOI: https://doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.20690

Textural Properties and Surface Chemistry of Rice Husk–Derived Biochar and Bio-silica Supports in Ni-Catalyzed Oleic Acid Deoxygenation

1School of Materials Energy Water and Environmental Sciences (MEWES), Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Tanzania, United Republic of

2Department of Engineering, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, 02467, MA, United States

3Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, 02467, MA, United States

Received: 22 Mar 2026; Revised: 9 Apr 2026; Accepted: 10 Apr 2026; Available online: 16 Apr 2026; Published: 30 Oct 2026.
Editor(s): Istadi Istadi
Open Access Copyright (c) 2026 by Authors, Published by BCREC Publishing Group
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Abstract
Rice husk (RH), an abundant agricultural residue, is a promising precursor for the production of carbon- and silica-based catalyst supports for upgrading lipid feedstocks. Previous studies have shown that RH-derived biochar and biosilica can serve as effective catalyst supports in reactions involving relatively small molecules; however, their application in the deoxygenation of lipid-derived molecules remains largely unexplored. In this study, RH was converted into three distinct supports, desilicated biochar (RH-C), KOH-activated desilicated biochar (RH-AC), and biosilica (RH-SiO₂), which were systematically compared as supports for Ni catalysts in the solvent-free deoxygenation of oleic acid. The supports and catalysts were characterized by BET, TEM, XRD, XPS, and TGA. Ni/RH-AC exhibited the highest surface area (809.8 m2 g-1) but lower mesopore volume than Ni-RH-C, while Ni/RH-SiO2 showed moderate surface area and minimal microporosity. XPS revealed minimal electronic perturbation of Ni supported on biochar, whereas biosilica induced electron withdrawal. All catalysts predominantly followed the decarboxylation/decarbonylation (deCOx) pathway, although Ni/RH-SiO2 also exhibited noticeable hydrodeoxygenation (HDO). Ni/RH-C achieved the highest conversion (96%), while Ni/RH-AC and Ni/RH-SiO2 achieved 76% and 72%, respectively. TGA/DSC analysis showed greater carbonaceous material deposition on Ni/RH-AC than on Ni/RH-C, with Ni/RH-SiO2 exhibiting the lowest coking. These findings reveal a clear structure-property-performance relationship, revealing that desilicated rice-husk biochar provides higher catalytic activity, whereas biosilica offers greater stability and lower susceptibility to coking. Moreover, excessive chemical activation after desilication appears unnecessary and may even be detrimental.
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Keywords: Deoxygenation of fatty acids, desilicated rice husk biochar, rice husk bio-silica, decarboxylation/decarbonylation (deCOx), post-desilication activation of biochar
Funding: The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) under contract Grant No. 24-006 RG/CHE-OTH/AF/AC_CG – FR, No. 3240339176

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