Mesoporous Ti–W oxide: synthesis, characterization, and performance in selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol

Abstract

Mesoporous Ti–W oxides, bearing high surface area, large pore volume, uniform pore size and tunable W/Ti ratios in a wide range (10–40 mol%), were successfully fabricated via an evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) strategy. In this approach, the incorporation of W species not only effectively resulted in well-ordered mesoporous structures when calcined below 400 °C but also modified the acidic properties of the obtained oxide composites. The optimal acid amounts (0.47–0.67 mmol g⁻¹ for 400 °C calcinations, 0.25–0.27 mmol g⁻¹ for 500 °C calcinations) were obtained when the W concentration was between 10 and 20 mol%. When calcined at 500 °C, Brønsted acids were generated in Ti₉₀W₁₀-500 and Ti₈₀W₂₀-500. The catalytic performance of these mesoporous solid acids in glycerol hydrogenolysis was studied with a loading of 2 wt% Pt. Pt/Ti_100−nW_n-500s exhibited high selectivity to 1,3-propanediol (33.5% and 40.3%) and promising catalytic activities (18.4% and 24.2% glycerol conversion) when n is 10 and 20, respectively. This work presents a step forward in the development of highly efficient glycerol hydrogenolysis catalysts and a new understanding of the reaction mechanism of glycerol hydrogenolysis to 1,3-propanediol.