Conversion of diols by dehydrogenation and dehydration reactions on Cu/SiO2 catalysts

P.A. TORRESI; V.K. DÍEZ; J.I. DI COSIMO

Louisville, Kentucky

Congreso; 23rd North American Catalysis Society Meeting; 2013

North American Catalysis Society

Molecules  containing  multiple  OH  groups  such  as  glycerol,  propanediols  and butanediols, can be obtained  from  renewable  sources. They present a wide  range of potential uses  since  they  can  be  converted  into  valuable  oxygenates  by  activating  one  or  all  the OH groups. Products are used in pharmaceutical, food and pesticide industries and as solvents. In  this  work  we present  the  gas-phase  conversion of  1,3-butanediol (1,3-BDO),  a model  molecule  of 1,3-diols, on  silica-supported  copper catalysts.  We report  the  effect  of Cu  loading  on  the physicochemical  and  catalytic  properties  of  these  materials.  We  found  that  the  1,3-BDO conversion pathways, can be shifted from parallel dehydrogenation and dehydration reactions  to  a  consecutive  dehydrogenation-dehydration-hydrogenation sequence,  depending on  the metal concentration  range below or above  the copper  loading  for complete monolayer surface coverage. The dehydrogenation product was selectively obtained at high Cu loadings.