Hydrogenation of Succinic Acid to γ-Butyrolactone over Palladium Catalyst Supported on Mesoporous Alumina Xerogel

Mesoporous alumina xerogel (AX) was prepared by a sol-gel method for use as a support for palladium catalyst. Palladium catalyst supported on mesoporous alumina xerogel (Pd/AX) was then prepared by an impregnation method. For comparison, commercial alumina (AC) was also used to prepare Pd/AC catalyst by an impregnation method. Liquid-phase hydrogenation of succinic acid to gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) was carried out using supported palladium catalysts (Pd/AC and Pd/AX). The supported palladium catalysts (Pd/AC and Pd/AX) were characterized by XRD, BET, HR-TEM, and hydrogen chemisorption analyses. In the hydrogenation of succinic acid to GBL, Pd/AX catalyst showed a better catalytic performance than Pd/AC catalyst. Fine dispersion of palladium of Pd/AX catalyst was responsible for its high catalytic activity.