Continuous Catalytic Oxidation of Glycerol to Carboxylic Acids Using Nanosized Gold/Alumina Catalysts and a Liquid-Phase Flow Reactor.

Abstract

Here, we report the development of catalysts comprising highly dispersed Au on an alumina (Al2O3) support for the oxidation of glycerol to high-value carboxylic acids in a liquid-phase flow reactor. The catalysts were prepared by means of a deposition–precipitation method. To ensure that the catalysts could be used for long-term catalytic conversions in a liquid-phase flow reactor, we chose an alumina support with high temperature stability and a particle size (50–200 μm) large enough to prevent leakage of the catalyst from the reactor. One of the five catalysts had a high catalytic activity for the conversion of glycerol to the high-value carboxylic acids, glyceric acid and tartronic acid (conversion of glycerol >70%), and the catalyst retained its catalytic activity over long-term use (up to 1770 min). Pretreatment of the catalyst with fructose, a mild reductant, increased the activity of the catalyst. Scanning transmission electron microscopy revealed three Au species highly dispersed on the surface of the alumina support—Au nanoparticles (mode = 7.5–10 nm), Au clusters (1–2 nm), and atomic Au.