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Conclusions
In summary, we have demonstrated that simple supported Ni cat-
alysts allow the high-yield production of industrially attractive
1,2-alkanediols from microcrystalline cellulose under H2 in hot-
compressed water via combined steps involving hydrolysis,
hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis. All Ni catalysts investigated
could effectively catalyze the one-pot conversion of microcrys-
talline cellulose and the supports played a critical role in the
product distribution and selectivity. The best result was obtained
by using 20% Ni/ZnO as the catalyst, with complete cellulose
conversion and remarkable glycol yield of 70.4%, which is the
highest value obtained so far on supported Ni catalysts. The rela-
tively poor hydrothermal stability of the catalyst was partially
responsible for the decrease in the repeated runs. Further
research is undergoing to improve the selectivity and stability of
current catalysts, and to achieve the rational design of catalysts
for the direct conversion of carbohydrates to the desired diol–
polyol products.
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by grants from the National High
Technology Research and Development Program (“863”
Program) of China (No. 2009AA05Z410), the National Natural
Science Foundation of China (No. 20803038 and No.
21003146), the Qingdao Key Technology Program (No. 09-1-4-
1-nsh) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
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