Understanding the promotional effect of Au on Pt/WO 3 in hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol

Pt/Au/WO3 bimetallic catalysts were prepared by impregnation of Pt onto preformed Au/WO3, obtained by a hexadecyl trmethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB)-assisted one-pot synthesis method. The resulting Pt/Au/WO3 catalysts exhibited remarkable synergistic effects for selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol. The characterization results showed that doping of Au promoted the reduction of both Pt and W at low temperatures and uniform dispersion of Pt on the WO3 support. Furthermore, more low-valence Pt species were produced on the WO3 surface after introduction of Au. These changes in electronic properties resulted in enhancement of both glycerol conversion and selectivity for 1,3-propanediol.