Oxides‐modified Raney copper as catalysts for selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol

Abstract

ABSTRACTA series of Raney Cu‐based catalysts (Raney Cu modified by such oxides as ZrO2, Al2O3, ZrO2, MgO, SiO2, TiO2, and ZnO) were prepared by wet‐mixing method and used in the hydrogenolysis of glycerol. Modified Raney copper as well as Raney Cu presented the catalytic performance for glycerol hydrogenolysis in different degree, and the yields of 1,2‐propanediol as the catalytic selective product were in the order of Cu/MgO > Cu/ZnO > Cu/SiO2 > Cu/TiO2 > Cu/ZrO2 > Cu/Al2O3 > Raney Cu. Obviously, Cu/MgO showed excellent activity and selectivity for glycerol hydrogenolysis by liquid‐phase reaction among those catalysts and was characterized by means of X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, hydrogen temperature programmed desorption, CO2 temperature programmed desorption, and thermogravimetry differential scanning calorimetry. The results showed that the MgO was well dispersed within the pores of Raney Cu, resulting in the generation of new phase Cu–MgO after calcination. The catalytic conversion of glycerol hydrogenolysis using the Raney Cu/MgO catalyst reached 75 wt.%, with a selectivity of 85 wt.% for 1,2‐propanediol at 180 °C, 1.0 MPa of hydrogen, and 24 h. The study revealed that the Cu–MgO phase was responsible for high selectivity of 1,2‐propanediol in glycerol hydrogenolysis. © 2014 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.