Production of biomass-derived chemicals by catalytic hydrogenolysis

Heterogeneous catalysts for the production of the diols from renewable resources were developed and their catalytic reactions were studied. The target diols were 1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-penetanediol, and 1,6-hexanediol. Heterogeneous hydrogenolysis catalysts for glycerol to 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PrD), erythritol to 1,4-butanediol, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol to 1,5-pentanediol, and tetrahydropyran-2-methanol to 1,6-hexanediol were developed. Re- or Mo-modified metal particles (Rh or Ir) were effective to these hydrogenolysis reactions. The modification of Rh catalysts with Re species enhanced the selectivity to 1,3-PrD in the glycerol hydrogenolysis, although the selectivity was not satisfactory. Ir-ReO/SiO₂ showed high selectivity and yield of 1,3-PrD without using any organic solvents. Ir/SiO₂ and ReO/SiO₂ had almost no hydrogenolysis activity, in contrast, Ir-ReO/SiO₂ exhibited high activity, indicating that the strong synergy between Ir and Re generates the catalytic activity. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 22nd Annual Saudi-Japan Symposium on Catalysts in Petroleum Refining and Petrochemicals 2012 (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia 11/25-26/2012).