Effects of Different Al2O3 Supports on Pt/WOx-Based Catalysts for Selective Hydrogenolysis of Glucose to 1,2-Propylene Glycol

The hydrogenolysis of glucose to 1,2-propylene glycol (1,2-PG) has become a powerful and practical approach to using biomass resources. A series of Pt (2%)/WOx (7.5%) catalysts supported on different kinds of γ-Al2O3 were prepared by stepwise incipient wetness impregnation. The effects of Al2O3 supports on the physicochemical parameters and catalytic capabilities of catalysts used in the hydrogenolysis of glucose to 1,2-PG were investigated. Subsequently, an attempt was made to relate the catalytic activities to the structures of the W species. When Nano-Al2O3 was used as the support, the Pt/WOx/Nano-Al2O3 catalyst demonstrated the best performance, yielding 55.8% 1,2-PG after heating at 245 °C for 1 h. The excellent performance of the Pt/WOx/Nano-Al2O3 catalyst was attributed to the high dispersion of the Pt center and the optimal W species structure on the catalyst surface (monodisperse W species coexisting with the polymerized W species).