Copper zinc aluminate synthesized by sol‐gel method with polyacrylic acid as catalysts for glycerol hydrogenolysis

This study describes the use of novel Cu/ZnO/ZnAl2O4/PAAH (PAAH=polyacrylic acid) hybrid nanomaterials for glycerol hydrogenolysis. Their elaboration by sol-gel process either in one step or in two steps allowed to modulate their structural properties in terms of specific surface area, Lewis acidity, sizes and dispersion of copper nanoparticles. The presence of PAAH and aluminium during the synthesis particularly showed benefits in terms of dispersion and metal-support interaction. The characterization of the catalyst surfaces in composition and size of the copper nanoparticles allowed to establish structure-reactivity relationships. Their optimization allowed to reach remarkable conversions up to 96 % with selectivity towards 1,2-propanediol of 83 %. A recyclability study also showed a possible reuse of these catalysts after a reactivation step.