Selective Hydrogenolysis of Glycerol to 1,3‐Propanediol: Manipulating the Frustrated Lewis Pairs by Introducing Gold to Pt/WOx

Abstract A highly dispersed Au and Pt catalyst supported on WO x was developed for high performance in the selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,3‐propanediol (1,3‐PD) under very mild reaction conditions (81.4 % glycerol conversion, 51.6 % 1,3‐PD selectivity at 413 K, 1 MPa H 2 ). The highly dispersed Au decreased the original surface Lewis‐acid sites on Pt/WO x but greatly increased its in situ generated Brønsted‐acid sites with the assistance of H 2 through the formation of frustrated Lewis pairs. These in situ formed and spatially separated pairs of H + and H − function as the active sites in glycerol conversion to 1,3‐PD.