Oxidation of glycerol using gold―palladium alloy-supported nanocrystals

• Published in: Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP Vol. 11; no. 25; pp. 4952 - 4961
• Main Authors: DIMITRATOS, Nikolaos, LOPEZ-SANCHEZ, Jose Antonio, MANJALY ANTHONYKUTTY, Jinto, BRETT, Gemma, CARLEY, Albert F, CHANDRA TIRUVALAM, Ram, HERZING, Andrew A, KIELY, Christopher J, KNIGHT, David W, HUTCHINGS, Graham J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Royal Society of Chemistry 01.01.2009
• Subjects: Alloys - chemistry; Catalysis; Chemistry; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Glycerol - chemistry; Gold - chemistry; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Oxidation-Reduction; Palladium - chemistry; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Gold; Binary compound; Support; Oxalate; Alloys; Transition element compounds; Glycerol; Transition metal; Raw materials; Palladium alloy; Carbon; Base; Supported catalyst; Heterogeneous catalysis; Impregnation; Sequential; Preparation; Formate; Oxidation; Titanium oxide; Catalyst activity; Platinoid; By product; Nanocrystal
• ISSN: 1463-9076; 1463-9084
• DOI: 10.1039/b904317a

The use of bio-renewable resources for the generation of materials and chemicals continues to attract significant research attention. Glycerol, a by-product from biodiesel manufacture, is a highly functionalised renewable raw material, and in this paper the oxidation of glycerol in the presence of base using supported gold, palladium and gold-palladium alloys is described and discussed. Two supports, TiO(2) and carbon, and two preparation methods, wet impregnation and sol-immobilisation, are compared and contrasted. For the monometallic catalysts prepared by impregnation similar activities are observed for Au and Pd, but the carbon-supported monometallic catalysts are more active than those on TiO(2). Glycerate is the major product and lesser amounts of tartronate, glycolate, oxalate and formate are observed, suggesting a sequential oxidation pathway. Combining the gold and palladium as supported alloy nanocrystals leads to a significant enhancement in catalyst activity and the TiO(2)-supported catalysts are significantly more active for the impregnated catalysts. The use of a sol-immobilisation preparation method as compared to impregnation leads to the highest activity alloy catalysts and the origins of these activity trends are discussed.