Supported Cu catalysts for the selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to propanediols

• Published in: Applied catalysis. A, General Vol. 367; no. 1; pp. 93 - 98
• Main Authors: Guo, Liyuan, Zhou, Jinxia, Mao, Jingbo, Guo, Xinwen, Zhang, Shuguang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 01.10.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Catalysis; Chemistry; Copper; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Glycerol; Hydrogenolysis; Propanediol; Support; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Glycerol; Support; Propanediol; Copper; Hydrogenolysis; Aluminium oxide; Binary compound; Transition metal; Selectivity; Conversion; X ray diffraction; Supported catalyst; Scission; Characterization; Chemical reduction; Heterogeneous catalysis; Efficiency; Alumina
• ISSN: 0926-860X; 1873-3875
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apcata.2009.07.040

Supported Cu catalysts were synthesized to convert glycerol to propanediols. The Cu/Al 2O 3 catalyst with 2.7 mmol Cu/g γ-Al 2O 3 presented a 96.8% selectivity to propanediols with a 49.6% glycerol conversion under mild reaction conditions (220 °C, 1.5 MPa initial H 2 pressure, 10 h, Cu/glycerol molar ratio 3:100). Compared with a commercial copper chromite, the Cu/Al 2O 3 is more active and selective. Supported Cu catalysts were synthesized and applied to convert glycerol, a renewable feedstock, to value-added propanediols. Among these catalysts, the γ-Al 2O 3 supported Cu catalysts showed superior performance. Unlike most supported precious metal catalysts, the scission of C–C bonds was successfully suppressed on the Cu/Al 2O 3 catalysts without a sacrifice of glycerol conversion. The experimental results combined with the characterization studies using temperature programmed reduction (TPD) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques revealed that the optimal Cu loading was 2.7 mmol of Cu metal/g of γ-Al 2O 3 and that the suitable pre-reduction temperature was 300 °C. The Cu/Al 2O 3 catalyst with the optimized amount of Cu showed a selectivity to propanediols about 96.8% with a glycerol conversion about 49.6% under mild reaction conditions (220 °C, 1.5 MPa initial H 2 pressure, 10 h, Cu/glycerol molar ratio 3:100). Compared with a commonly used commercial copper chromite catalyst, the Cu/Al 2O 3 presented much higher activity, selectivity and Cu usage efficiency and is non-toxic.