Multifunctional WO-ZrO-Supported Platinum Catalyst for Remarkably Efficient Hydrogenolysis of Esters to Alkanes.

The hydrogenolysis of esters to alkanes is a key protocol for the synthesis of high-quality hydrocarbon fuels from renewable plant oils or fats. However, performing this process under mild energy-efficient conditions is challenging. Herein, we report a robust tungsten- and zirconium-oxide-supported platinum catalyst (Pt/WO-ZrO) for the hydrogenolysis of esters to alkanes at low temperatures (as low as 70 °C) and under ambient pressure (1 atm) of H. For example, tristearin undergoes a complete conversion at 130 °C with more than 95% selectivity for the corresponding alkanes without carbon loss. In addition, the heterogeneous nature of the catalyst system reported herein permits multiple reuse of the catalyst without any significant loss of its high activity and selectivity. Mechanistic studies suggest that the multifunctional nature (acid and redox properties) of the WO-ZrO support plays an important role in the high activity of the catalyst.