Tailoring support materials plays an important role for controlling activity and selectivity in heterogeneously catalysed gas-liquid reactions. In this work, the authors investigate how the carbon support can steer the performance of bimetallic Ru-Cu catalysts for the hydrogenolysis of glycerol into 1,2-propanediol, an attractive route for valorising glycerol produced as a by-product of biodiesel manufacturing.
Sophisticated carbon supports, including single- and multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as well as in-house-produced Globugraphite, were systematically tested together with different Ru:Cu ratios, metal precursors, and, importantly, the catalyst preparation route. In-depth characterisation using ICP-OES, nitrogen physisorption, plasma optical emission spectrometry, and a range of microscopy and X-ray techniques revealed the properties that determine catalytic performance.
The study shows that the whole catalyst architecture matters, and how strongly the support itself shapes it. The carbon material controls accessible mesoporosity, the dispersion and distribution of Ru-Cu nanoparticles on and within CNT bundles, and even the reducibility of the active phases. This combination is what ultimately drives the observed activity and selectivity, providing a foundation for implementing highly active and selective catalysts in a future SMART reactor for glycerol valorisation.
Dominique Lumpp, Samrin Shaikh, Jan-Dominik Krueger, Fabian Riebesehl, Christiane Roller, Charlotte Ruhmlieb, Baldur Schroeter, Carina Hedrich, Martin Ritter, Irina Smirnova, Bodo Fiedler, Jakob Albert (2026). Investigations on the Role of Support and Synthesis Procedure for the Ruₓ–Cuᵧ/CNT-Catalysed Hydrogenolysis of Glycerol to 1,2-Propanediol. ChemistryOpen 15 (7): 1-15 (2026).
