Effect of Cu loading to MCM-41 catalyst for propanediols production

Abstract. The catalytic activity of Cu/MCM for glycerol hydrogenolysis to 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO) and 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) was tested in a high-pressure batch reactor at 180-200 °C for 3 h under 10 bars of N2 with different solvent as in-situ hydrogen source. The commercial Al-MCM-41 was impregnated with 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 wt.% Cu using the incipient wetness impregnation method, dried at 100 °C for 24 h and calcined at 550 °C for 5 hours. The physicochemical properties of all catalysts were characterized using XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, and H2-TPR. The synthesized Cu/MCM showed the presence of diffraction peaks, which could be assigned to a high-order two-dimensional hexagonal arrangement of MCM support at a low angle, while the CuO phase was detected at a wide angle diffraction peak. The surface area and pore volume showed a decreasing pattern as Cu content increased. The total hydrogen consumption of the Cu/MCM catalyst decreases at 2.5 wt.% of Cu content and gradually increases as the Cu content increases to 5, 7.5, and 10 wt.%. All catalysts were tested for glycerol hydrogenolysis without external hydrogen gas addition to determine the effect of different Cu loading on MCM support catalyst for 1,2-PDO and 1,3-PDO production.