Selective Hydrogenolysis of Glycerol to 1,3‐Propanediol: Manipulating the Frustrated Lewis Pairs by Introducing Gold to Pt/WOx

A highly dispersed Au and Pt catalyst supported on WOx was developed for high performance in the selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,3‐propanediol (1,3‐PD) under very mild reaction conditions (81.4 % glycerol conversion, 51.6 % 1,3‐PD selectivity at 413 K, 1 MPa H2). The highly dispersed Au decreased the original surface Lewis‐acid sites on Pt/WOx but greatly increased its in situ generated Brønsted‐acid sites with the assistance of H2 through the formation of frustrated Lewis pairs. These in situ formed and spatially separated pairs of H+ and H− function as the active sites in glycerol conversion to 1,3‐PD.