Glucose Hydrogenolysis into 1,2-Propanediol Using a Pt/deAl@Mg(OH)2 Catalyst: Expanding the Application of a Core–Shell Structured Catalyst

Abstract

To substitute fossil resources, it is necessary to investigate the conversion of biomass into 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO) as a high-value-added chemical. The Pt/deAl-Beta@Mg(OH)2 catalytic system is designed to obtain a higher 1,2-PDO production yield. The optimal yield of 1,2-PDO is 34.1%. The unique shell-core structure of the catalyst demonstrates stability, with a catalytic yield of over 30% after three times of use. The primary process path from glucose to 1,2-PDO, glucose-hexitol-1,2-PDO, is speculated by the experiments of intermediate product selectivity. The alkaline catalytic mechanism of the reaction process is elucidated by studying catalyst characterization and analyzing different time courses of products. The introduction of Mg(OH)2 improves the target yield by promoting the isomerization from glucose to fructose and retro-aldol condensation (RAC) conversion, with pseudo-yield increases of 76.1% and 42.1%, respectively. By studying the processes of producing lactic acid and 1,2-PDO from glucose, the glucose hydrogenolysis flow chart is improved, which is of great significance for accurately controlling 1,2-PDO production in industrial applications. The metal, acid, and alkali synergistic catalytic system constructed in this paper can provide a theoretical basis and route reference for applying biomass conversion technology in practice.

Catalytic production of 1,2-propanediol from sucrose over a functionalized Pt/deAl-beta zeolite catalyst

“…8 Metal modication can change the acidity site distribution and pore volume of the catalysts, among which Pt loading has been a standard modication method for beta zeolite in recent years. [9][10][11] Under acidic conditions, glucose and fructose from sucrose hydrolysis are dehydrated to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), and then HMF is hydrolyzed to produce formic acid and levopropionic acid. These side reactions reduce the yield of 1,2-PDO.…”

“…Besides, lactic acid can be hydrogenated to 1,2-PDO in a hydrogen atmosphere. 9 To improve on the traditional production methods of 1,2-PDO, we constructed a catalytic system to convert biomass into 1,2-PDO by a one-step hydrogenolysis efficiently. In this paper, a Pt/deAl-beta@Mg(OH) 2 core-shell catalyst was designed and prepared by dealumination, metal modication, and alkali treatment.…”