Cu:Al Nano Catalyst for Selective Hydrogenolysis of Glycerol to 1,2-Propanediol

Non-chromium Cu:Al nano catalyst prepared by simultaneous co-precipitation and digestion method without any template or stabilizer, showed three times higher activity than the bulk Cu-Cr catalyst for hydrogenolysis of glycerol in both isopropanol and water solvents, with the selectivity to 1,2-Propanediol (1,2-PDO) as high as 91% at 493 K and H-2 pressure of 7 MPa in 5 h. XRD pattern showed the presence of Cu+ species in the activated Cu: Al nano catalyst. Although Cu+ is catalytically inactive in glycerol hydrogenolysis reaction, the presence of Cu+ helps to stabilize the particle size in a narrow range of 7-11 nm by inhibiting the sintering of copper particles under reaction conditions.