Vapour-phase hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol over supported pt catalysts: The effect of supports on the catalytic functionalities

Platinum catalysts with 2 % (w/w) Pt supported on ZrO2, Sulfated ZrO2, γ-Al2O3, AlPO4, activated carbon and Y-Zeolite have been investigated for the selective vapour phase hydrogenolysis of biomass derived glycerol to 1,3-propanediol at moderate reaction temperature and atmospheric pressure. All the catalysts were synthesized by the wet impregnation method using chloroplatinic acid precursor. The physico-chemical properties of the catalysts were investigated by XRD, FTIR, SEM, CO-chemisorption, TPR, TEM, NH3-TPD and Pyridine adsorbed FTIR spectroscopy. The catalytic experimental results combined with the characterization studies showed that the glycerol conversion and the yield of 1,3-propanediol greatly depend on the nature of the support. The results also suggest that a correlation exists between catalytic activity and acidity. A key parameter to assess the best catalyst performance is the dispersion of Pt on the support and the metal-support interaction. Among various supported Pt catalysts screened for vapour phase glycerol hydrogenolysis, the Pt/AlPO4 catalyst exhibited the best activity towards glycerol conversion (100 %) and 1,3-propanediol selectivity (35.4 %)