Hydrogenation of Glucose to Sorbitol over Nickel and Ruthenium Catalysts

Abstract

Hydrogenation of aqueous glucose solution was performed in batch and continuous reactors using supported nickel and ruthenium catalysts. Preparation methods were precipitation, impregnation, sol‐gel and template syntheses, and SiO 2, TiO 2, Al 2 O 3 and carbon were used as support materials. A procedure for the one‐step synthesis of templated metal on support catalysts was established. The influence of support material and preparation methods was studied and the results were compared with those of an industrial nickel catalyst. In a detailed study taking more than 1100 h time on stream we investigated the deactivation of the industrial catalyst and a supported ruthenium catalyst, and evaluated the deactivation mechanisms. As yet unpublished side products of the glucose hydrogenation were identified and a scheme of the reaction network was set up.