A low-temperature active and selective bimetallic Cu-In catalysts for hydrogenation of methyl 3-hydroxypropionate to 1,3-propanediol

The pathway for producing 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) from methyl 3-hydroxypropionate (3-HPM) has great application potential. However, the reaction is sensitive to temperature and results in reduced product selectivity at high temperatures. This study explores the use of low-temperature active Cu-In bimetallic catalysts for the 3-HPM reaction. The Cu-1In/SiO₂ catalyst exhibits superior catalytic performance with a 91.5 % yield of 1,3-PDO, surpassing that of the Cu/SiO₂ catalyst by 264 % under identical conditions. Multiple characterization methods reveal the textural and physiochemical properties of the catalysts. The excellent catalytic performance of Cu-1In/SiO₂ can be attributed to the introduction of CuIn alloy and highly dispersed In₂O₃. The interaction between copper and Indium species on the catalyst surface facilitates the dispersion of Cu species, while simultaneously highly dispersed In₂O₃ introducing new adsorption sites for reactants, thereby greatly improving its catalytic performance.