Aqueous phase hydrogenolysis of glycerol to bio-propylene glycol over PtSn

MARIA LAURA BARBELLI; GERARDO F. SANTORI; NORA N. NICHIO

BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Año: 2012 vol. 111 p. 500 - 503

0960-8524

PtSn supported on SiO2 obtained via surface organometallic chemistry techniques catalyzes hydrogenolysis of glycerol to obtain bio-propylene glycol (PG). Bimetallic catalysts with Sn contents between 0.1% and 1% wt were carefully prepared by selective hydrogenolysis of Sn(n-C4H9)4 on Pt. TEM, TPR, H2 and CO chemisorptions, and XPS studies have shown that tin selective deposition on the metallic phase is obtained. At 200C under N2 or H2 pressure, the presence of tin increases drastically: both the selectivity and the activity of the glycerol conversion into PG. During 2 h batch runs; it could be observed that PtSn catalysts with Sn/Pt ratio = 0.2 showed the best performance (PG selectivity = 59% and 83% under N2 andH2 pressure respectively). The increase in activity and selectivity could be explained by the presence of Sn+n species ‘‘acid Lewis sites’’ which would facilitate the C–OH adsorption and its subsequent C–O cleavage favoring the propylene glycol production.