Selective Hydrogenolysis of Glycerol to 1,3-Propanediol: Manipulating the Frustrated Lewis Pairs by Introducing Gold to Pt/WOx

A highly dispersed Au and Pt catalyst supported on WOx was developed for high performance in the selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD) under very mild reaction conditions (81.4% glycerol conversion, 51.6% 1,3-PD selectivity at 413 K, 1 MPa H-2). The highly dispersed Au decreased the original surface Lewis-acid sites on Pt/WOx but greatly increased its in situ generated Bronsted-acid sites with the assistance of H2 through the formation of frustrated Lewis pairs. These in situ formed and spatially separated pairs of H+ and H+ function as the active sites in glycerol conversion to 1,3-PD.