Biomass is the only renewable organic carbon source (including animal fat and vegetable oil) in the world that can be stored and transported, and its rational utilization will effectively supplement the present energy structure. With good economy, wide range of raw materials, and high calorific value, the active promotion of renewable diesel has an important effect on solving the energy crisis problem and relieving the pressure of fossil fuels. Particularly, the core issue is still the development and design for the catalysts with superior “H-H” dissociation ability, “C-O” and “C=O” adsorption and activation abilities. Therefore, the review analyzes the research progress of the single- and complex-component metal-based catalysts (Ni, Co, Mo, and Cu) for the renewable diesel preparation by lipids hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) from the perspective. The effects of the studied catalysts on the grease HDO performances are reviewed in detail in terms of the catalyst preparation, active center construction, and the interaction between the active components and support. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of the various metal-based catalysts in the oils HDO are compared in recent years (including pore structure, surface acidity and alkalinity, support, additives, and so on), and the potential and development direction of the metal-based catalysts in the lipids HDO for the renewable diesel preparation are prospected. Furtherly, several outlooks on the future research, the development of the catalyst with high-performances, precision catalysis, and renewable diesel development direction are also addressed in this paper, laying the foundation for the development of the economical and suitable catalysts for the grease HDO. The design and development of the catalysts with high-performances are also the key to achieving domain-limited catalysis and precise catalytic conversion of oils. Biomass is the only renewable organic carbon source (including animal fat and vegetable oil) in the world that can be stored and transported, and its rational utilization will effectively supplement the present energy structure. With good economy, wide range of raw materials, and high calorific value, the active promotion of biodiesel (hydrocarbons) has an important effect on solving the energy crisis problem and relieving the pressure of fossil fuels.
Chen et al. (Thu,) studied this question.