Selective Hydrogenolysis of Glycerol to 1,2-Propanediol Using Heterogeneous Copper Nanoparticle Catalyst Derived from Cu–Al Hydrotalcite

The copper nanoparticle catalyst prepared from Cu–Al hydrotalcite gives an excellent yield of 1,2-propanediol in the hydrogenolysis of glycerol. The copper nanoparticle catalyst also exhibits high durability against sintering during the hydrogenolysis reaction and can be reused without appreciable loss of activity or selectivity.