One-pot synthesis of propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol over strong basic catalyst

The synthesis of propylene glycol (PG) and dipropylene glycol (DPG) was carried out by the hydrolysis of propylene oxide over solid base catalysts. Among them, sol–gel derived Na2O–ZrO2 showed the excellent performance. It was found that Na2O–ZrO2 had a mesoporous framework in which Na2O nanoparticles were homogeneously dispersed. Such a structure led to the strong basicity and then the excellent performance in the hydrolysis of propylene oxide. As a result, one-pot synthesis of propylene glycol (PG) and dipropylene glycol (DPG) could take place at a low H2O/PO ratio of 3 without any condensation reactions.