Pt-Loaded Nb─W Metal Composite Oxide for Selective Cleavage of Secondary C─O Bonds

Selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) is recognized as one of the most promising reactions for the valorization of biomass. Precise activation of C─O bonds of glycerol molecule is the key step to realize the high yield of catalytic conversion. Here, a Pt-loaded Nb-W composite oxides with crystallographic shear phase for the precise activation and cleavage of secondary C─O (C(2)─O) bonds are first reported. The developed Nb₁₄ W₃ O₄₄ with uniform structure possesses arrays of W-O-Nb active sites that totally distinct from individual WO_x or NbO_x species, which is superior to the adsorption and activation of C(2)─O bonds. The Nb₁₄ W₃ O₄₄ support with rich reversible redox couples also promotes the electron feedback ability of Pt and enhances its interaction with Pt nanoparticles, resulting in high activity for H₂ dissociation and hydrogenation. All these favorable factors confer the Pt/Nb₁₄ W₃ O₄₄ excellent performance for selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,3-PDO with the yield of 75.2% exceeding the record of 66%, paying the way for the commercial development of biomass conversion. The reported catalysts or approach can also be adopted to create a family of Nb-W metal composite oxides for other catalytic reactions requiring selective C─O bond activation and cleavage.