Selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2-propanediol catalyzed by supported bimetallic PdCu-KF/γ-Al2O3

Biomass glycerol is an important raw material for many available chemicals, such as 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO). Hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2-PDO is considered as a sustainable process with renewable potential application. In this paper, a series of bimetallic PdCu-KF/γ-Al2O3 were prepared and the structures of catalysts were characterized by XRD, XPS, TEM and CO2-TPD. By measuring the activity of the catalyst, we found that PdCu-KF/γ-Al2O3 (Pd:Cu:KF = 0.05:1:0.5) can be used as an efficient catalyst for hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2-PDO, with 98.3% selectivity and nearly 100% conversion (200 °C, 2.5 MPa initial H2 pressure, 20 h).