Hydrocracking of carbohydrates making glycerol, glycols and other polyols
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorsMark A. Andrews, Stephen A. Klaeren
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Abstract
A homogeneous process for hydrocracking of carbohydrates in the presence of soluble transition metal hydrogenation catalyst with the production of lower polyhydric alcohols. A carbohydrate is contacted with hydrogen in the presence of a soluble transition metal catalyst and a strong base at a temperature of from about 25.degree. C. to about 200.degree. C. and a pressure of from about 15 to about 3000 psi.
Claims14
A process for hydrocracking a monosaccharide, a disaccharide, or a pretreated polysaccharide substrate, or a mixture of such substrates, which comprises bringing the substrate into contact with hydrogen in a solution containing a soluble Group VIII metal hydrogenation catalyst selected from the group consisting of H.sub.2 Ru(PPh.sub.3).sub.4 ;
- H.sub.2 Ru(CO)(PPh.sub.3);
- H.sub.3 Ru(PPh.sub.3).sub.3.sup.-1 ;
- H.sub.3 Ir(PPh.sub.3).sub.3 ;
- HMX(CO)(PPh.sub.3).sub.n wherein M=Ru or Os, X is selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br and CH.sub.3 CO.sub.2, and n=2 or 3;
- HRh(PPh.sub.3).sub.4 ;
- and H.sub.2 Rh(PPhMe.sub.2).sub.2 (solvent).sub.2.sup.+1.
A process for the production of lower polyhydric alcohols comprising contacting a monosaccharide substrate with hydrogen in the present of a soluble transition metal catalyst selected from the group consisting of H.sub.2 Ru(PPh.sub.3).sub.4 ;
- H.sub.2 Ru(CO)(PPh.sub.3).sub.3 ;
- H.sub.3 Ru(Ph.sub.3).sup.-1 ;
- H.sub.3 Ir(PPh.sub.3).sub.3 ;
- HMX(CO)(PPh.sub.3).sub.n wherein M=Ru or Os, X is selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br and CH.sub.3 CO.sub.2, n=2 or 3;
- RhCl(PPh.sub.3).sub.3 ;
- HRh(PPh.sub.3).sub.4 ;
- H.sub.2 Rh(PPhMe.sub.2).sub.2 (solvent).sup.+1.sub.2 and RuCl.sub.2 (PPh.sub.3).sub.3 and a strong base at a temperature of from about 75.degree. C. to about 125.degree. C. and a pressure of about 100 to about 500 psi is in an amide solvent for about 1 to 12 hours in the absence of oxygen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.