Hydrogenolysis of sorbitol into valuable C3-C2 alcohols at low H2 pressure promoted by the heterogeneous Pd/Fe3O4 catalyst

The hydrogenolysis of sorbitol and various C5-C3 polyols (xylitol; erythritol; 1,2- 1,4- and 2,3-butandiol; 1,2-propandiol; glycerol) have been investigated at low molecular hydrogen pressure (5 bar) by using Pd/Fe3O4, as heterogeneous catalyst and water as the reaction medium. Catalytic experiments show that the carbon chain of polyols is initially shortened through dehydrogenation/decarbonylation and dehydrogenation/retro-aldol mechanisms followed by a series of cascade reactions that include dehydrogenation/decarbonylation and dehydration/hydrogenation processes. At 240 °C, sorbitol is fully converted into lower alcohols with ethanol being the main reaction product in liquid phase