A study of the selective catalytic hydroconversion of biomass-derived pyrolysis or fermentation liquids using propylamine and acetic acid as model reactants

•Ni/SiO2 is active in the hydroconversion of propylamine (PA) and acetic acid (AA).•Besides HDN and HDO CC bond hydrogenolysis proceeds over Ni/SiO2.•The hydroconversion activity can be controlled by alloying Ni with In or P.•Ni2In active phase shows high selectivity in partial HDO of AA to ethanol.•Ni2In and Ni2P phases show high selectivity in the HDN of PA to propane and NH3.

Silica-supported P or In modified Ni catalysts were active in the hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) and hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of reactant propylamine (PA) and acetic acid (AA), respectively, in which reactants were selected to model platform molecules of biomass origin. The undesired CC hydrogenolysis activity of supported Ni catalyst, resulting in low value gaseous products, could be reined by the modification, generating silica-supported Ni2P and Ni2In active phases.