Roles of aluminate spinel support on copper based catalyst for hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2 propanediol

Abstract

In this work, we prepared aluminate spinel modified Al2O3 support on Cu based catalysts, which is various type of metal aluminate spinel (M= Cu, Zn, Fe and Co) and amount of metal incorporated with Al2O3 (10 to 40 wt.% of metal) were synthesized by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP). The catalysts were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 physisorption, N2O decomosition and temperature programmed reduction (TPR). The XRD results confirmed the crystal structure of copper aluminate (CuAl2O4), zinc aluminate (ZnAl2O4), iron aluminate (FeAl2O4), and cobalt aluminate (CoAl2O4) formation, The incorporation of copper, zinc iron or cobalt with aluminum precursor during FSP step can be inhibit growth of Al2O3 particles resulting in the increasing BET surface and smaller particle size than pure Al2O3 support. For catalytic performance of glycerol hydrogenolysis reaction, the Cu/Al2O3 catalysts have a copper content of 10 wt%, zinc and an iron content of 30 wt%, and a cobalt content of 40 wt % with alumina presented high activity and the improved selectivity to 1,2-propanediol. The appearance of metal aluminate spinel (CuAl2O4, ZnAl2O4, and FeAl2O4) on catalyst also relates to a high selectivity of 1,2-propanediol and the decreased decomposition of 1,2-propanediol to propanal. While the presence of CoAl2O4 promoted acetol production.

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