Use of renewables for the production of chemicals: Glycerol oxidation over carbon supported gold catalysts

As a renewable feedstock and due to its high functionality glycerol is an attractive reactant for the production of a large number of valuable compounds. We report on an environmentally friendly alternative to produce chemicals from the glycerol oxidation, which are currently produced either by stoichiometric oxidation processes or by enzymatic routes. We investigate the heterogeneously catalyzed liquid-phase oxidation of glycerol with carbon supported gold catalysts. The prepared nanosized gold catalysts are highly active, so that the reaction could be performed under atmospheric pressure. The influence of the preparation method of the catalysts has been investigated. Moreover, the support effect on the catalytic process has been studied and discussed in terms of pore structure of the investigated carbon materials. The promotor effect of platinum on Au/C catalysts was examined and it could be shown that the presence of Pt increases not only the catalyst activity but also the selectivity. By promoting the gold catalysts with platinum the selectivity to dihydroxyacetone could be increased from 26% (Au/C) to 36% (Au–Pt/C).