Sustainable Production of 1‐Propanol via the Selective Hydrogenolysis of Glycerol Over a Tailored Iridium–Rhenium Oxide Catalyst Supported on HUSY Zeolite

Abstract 1‐Propanol (1‐PO) is a widely used industrial solvent and an important chemical intermediate. In this study, the hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1‐PO was investigated over conventional proton‐form ultrastable (HUSY) zeolite, monometallic Ir‐loaded HUSY (Ir‐HUSY), and Ir–ReO x metal–metal oxide supported on HUSY (IrRe‐HUSY). The IrRe‐HUSY catalysts, which were prepared via a sequential two‐step incipient wetness impregnation method, exhibited favorable physicochemical properties, including improved acid properties and uniform metal dispersion. Therefore, the bimetallic IrRe‐HUSY catalysts demonstrated a considerably higher catalytic performance, achieving a glycerol conversion of 78.9% and 1‐PO yield of 39.2%, than HUSY zeolite and Ir‐HUSY, which demonstrated only 32.9% glycerol conversion and 11.1% 1‐PO yield. This improvement in the catalytic properties of the IrRe‐HUSY catalysts was attributed to the synergistic effects among the three catalyst components: (1) ReO x clusters facilitated glycerol adsorption and activation; (2) Ir nanoparticles promoted C─O bond cleavage and hydrogenation; and (3) the acidic HUSY support enhanced dehydration steps. Additionally, the effects of operating conditions, such as catalyst loading, reaction time, and temperature, on 1‐PO production were systematically investigated. The surface structure of IrRe‐HUSY and the mechanistic pathway for glycerol hydrogenolysis over the IrRe‐HUSY catalyst were elucidated.