Selective hydrogenation of lactic acid to 1,2-propanediol over highly active ruthenium-molybdenum oxide catalysts.

Modification of Ru/C with a small amount of MoOx (RuMoOx /C) enhanced the catalytic activity in the hydrogenation of L-lactic acid to form 1,2-propanediol and maintained high selectivity. The turnover frequency based on the amount of Ru over the optimized RuMoOx /C catalyst (Mo/Ru molar ratio=1:16) was 114 h(-1) at 393 K, which was about 4 times higher than that over Ru/C. The same effect of MoOx was obtained over RuMoOx /SiO2 , although RuMoOx /SiO2 showed slightly lower activity than that of RuMoOx /C. RuMoOx /C achieved a high yield of 95 % in 18 h at 393 K and was applicable to various carboxylic acids to provide the corresponding alcohols in high yields. Modification with MoOx also brought about suppression of racemization and (S)-1,2-propanediol was obtained in high enantiomeric excess at 353 K. Based on kinetic analysis and characterization data, such as XRD, TEM, CO adsorption by a volumetric method, FTIR spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, for RuMoOx /C and RuMoOx /SiO2 , the catalyst structure and reaction mechanism are proposed.