Glycerol hydrogenolysis to propylene glycol: Mechanistic insights

ORGN 772

Simona Marincean, simona@chemistry.msu.edu1, James E. Jackson, jackson@chemistry.msu.edu1, and Dennis J. Miller, millerd@egr.msu.edu2. (1) Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, (2) Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
Glycerol (GO), a byproduct of biodiesel production, can be catalytically transformed under heterogeneous conditions to commodity chemicals such as propylene glycol (PG), ethylene glycol (EG), and lactic acid (LA). It is also a valuable model system for higher polyols and carbohydrates—the major components of renewable feedstocks. Seeking to optimize PG yield and selectivity, we explored the effects of different catalyst metals, base identity and concentration, and solvents. The carbon supported catalysts, Ru/C and Ni/Re/C, gave higher yields in organic solvents, such as isopropanol and t-butanol, than in water, while the trend was reversed for Ru sponge. We will discuss the experimental results in terms of access to the catalyst active sites, the strength and availability of the base, and the occurrence of side reactions.
 

Physical Organic Chemistry: Calculations, Mechanisms, Photochemistry, and High Energy Species
8:00 AM-12:00 PM, Thursday, March 29, 2007 McCormick Place Lakeside -- Room E451A/B, Level 4, Oral

Division of Organic Chemistry

The 233rd ACS National Meeting, Chicago, IL, March 25-29, 2007