Selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol over Pt-WOx/SAPO-34 catalysts

Selective catalytic hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,3-PDO is cost-effective for both production of the 1,3-PDO with an increasing industrial demand and valorization of the glycerol derived from biodiesel production, and both acid and metal are thought necessary for the catalysts for the reaction that proceeds by a dehydration-hydrogenation mode. Acidic mesoporous SAPO-34 was synthesized by a hydrothermal method and used to load Pt and WOx. The prepared Pt/SAPO-34 catalyst was active for glycerol hydrogenolysis due to its surface acidity and textural properties except for a low selectivity to 1,3-PDO. The WOx introduced on Pt/SAPO-34 markedly promoted glycerol conversion and the selectivity to 1,3-PDO. The content of WOx was found vital for the reaction, and the optimized catalytic performances were realized on the Pt-WOx/SAPO-34 catalyst with 20% WOx. The optimized content of WOx in the Pt-WOx/SAPO-34 catalyst was confirmed as non-stoichiometric and highly dispersed polymerized tungsten oxide species, and strongly interacted with the metallic platinum loaded. Accordingly, the metallic platinum was well dispersed on the WOx/SAPO-34. Moreover, the decoration of WOx enhanced the strength of surface acidity of the Pt/SAPO-34 catalysts in term of weak and moderate acid. Moreover, long reaction time, low reaction temperature and high reaction pressure facilitated the selective production of the desired 1,3-PDO from glycerol.