Development of a catalytic system for converting γ-butyrolactone into high added value products
Catalytic hydrogenation, γ-butyrolactone, 1,4-butanediol, tetrahydrofuran
Since γ-butyrolactone is an important chemical building-block for the production of 1,4-butanediol (BDO) and tetrahydrofuran (THF), the present work aimed to study the catalytic hydrogenation processes of γ-butyrolactone from nanostructured bimetallic catalysts based on palladium and rhenium supported on silica (PdRe/SiO2). The PdRe/SiO2 catalysts were synthesized by the successive impregnation method and characterized by their surface (BET) and pore volume (BJH), amount of metals (ICP-IOES), reduction temperature (TPR), crystal structure (XRD) and morphology (TEM). The reactions were evaluated for the effect of temperature and pressure from a central rotational composite design, water effect (solvent) and supercritical CO2 (reaction medium). Only the square effects of temperature and pressure for BDO selectivity were statistically significant. BDO and GBL dimers were identified as reaction products and water had a great influence on their formations. The effects of CO2-SC were more significant in increasing the selectivity of THF.