A mesoporous carbon-supported Pt nanocatalyst for the conversion of lignocellulose to sugar alcohols

Abstract

The conversion of lignocellulose is a crucial topic in the renewable and sustainable chemical industry. However, cellulose from lignocellulose is not soluble in polar solvents, and is, therefore, difficult to convert into value-added chemicals. A strategy to overcome this drawback is the use of mesoporous carbon, which enhances the affinity between the cellulose and the catalyst through its abundant functional groups and large uniform pores. Herein, we report on the preparation of a Pt catalyst supported on a type of 3D mesoporous carbon inspired by Echinometra mathae (Pt/CNE) to enhance the interaction between the catalyst and a nonsoluble reactant. In the hydrolytic hydrogenation of cellulose, the abundant oxygen groups of CNE facilitated the access of cellulose to the surface of the catalyst, and the open pore structure permits cello-oligomers to effectively diffuse to the active sites inside the pore. The highly dispersed Pt performed dual roles: hydrolysis by insitu generating protons from H2 or water as well as effective hydrogenation. The use of the Pt/CNE catalyst resulted in an approximately 80 % yield of hexitol, the best performance reported to date. In direct conversion of hardwood powder, the Pt/CNE shows good performance in the production of sugar alcohols (23 % yield). We expect that the open-structured 3D carbon will be widely applied to the conversion of various lignocellulosic materials. Coming soon in 3D! A Pt catalyst supported on a type of 3D mesoporous carbon (Pt/CNE) is used for the efficient conversion of lignocellulose to sugar alcohol. The amorphous carbon provides large uniform pores and the Pt metal performs a dual role (hydrogenation and insitu generation of proton). The use of the Pt/CNE catalyst results in a high hexitol yield, showing the potential of the system for catalytic transformation of lignocellulose biomass. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.