Activity and Selectivity of Platinum–Copper Bimetallic Catalysts Supported on Mordenite for Glycerol Hydrogenolysis to 1,3-Propanediol

Biomass derived glycerol is considered an ideal feedstock with a prospective to be converted into a number of valuable compounds. Catalytic glycerol hydrogenolysis to produce 1,3-propanediol is one of the pioneering biosustainable pathways. Bimetallic Pt–Cu catalysts supported on H-mordenite were synthesized with various copper loadings and applied in the selective glycerol hyrogenolysis to 1,3-propanediol in a continuous fixed bed reactor performed in vapor phase under atmospheric pressure. Several techniques such as XRD, ICP-AES, NH3-TPD, Pyr FTIR, BET, TPR, HR-TEM, XPS, and solid state NMR were employed to characterize the physical and chemical properties of Pt–Cu/Mor catalysts. A detailed reaction parametric study has been carried out. The results designated that well dispersed Pt–Cu catalysts with small particle size, supported on a Brønsted acidic H-mordenite with a multiple pore system and strong bimetallic phase-support interaction, promote the selectivity to 1,3-propanediol. Over the Pt–Cu/Mor catalyst of optimum composition (2% Pt and 5% Cu by weight) and under the optimum reaction conditions (210 °C, H2 flow rate of 80 mL min–1, and gly concentration of 10 wt %), the glycerol conversion and 1,3-PD selectivity reached 90% and 58.5%, respectively. Structural characterizations and reusability of the Pt-5Cu/Mor catalyst were also performed. With evident advantages of selective C–O hydrogenolysis with low C–C cleavages, the bimetallic Pt–Cu/Mor catalysts hold great potential as high-performance catalysts for glycerol conversion to 1,3-propanediol.