Vapor-phase Dehydration of Glycerol into Hydroxyacetone over Silver Catalyst

Abstract

Abstract Silica-supported silver exhibited high catalytic activity in the dehydration of glycerol: glycerol was dehydrated into hydroxyacetone with the selectivity higher than 86% at 91% conversion over Ag/SiO2 in H2 flow at 240 °C. Silver metal provides an active site and showed stable catalytic activity for the glycerol dehydration in H2 atmosphere, while the dehydration activity decreased in N2 atmosphere. The hydrogenation of hydroxyacetone into 1,2-propanediol and the decomposition to ethylene glycol did not proceed over silver.