Highly Thermally Stable and Efficient Ru/MAFO Catalysts for Glucose Hydrogenolysis to 1,2-Propylene Glycol

The catalytic hydrogenolysis of glucose to produce 1,2-propylene glycol (1,2-PG) has opened promising avenues for sustainable chemical production. However, traditional Ru-based catalysts suffer from issues such as high metal loading, poor dispersion, and a tendency to agglomerate under harsh conditions, leading to rapid deactivation. This work reports a highly dispersed, low-loading Ru catalyst supported on a magnesium–aluminum ferrite (MAFO) spinel to address these limitations. Strong covalent metal–support interactions (CMSI) between Ru species and the MAFO support not only achieve efficient stabilization of Ru nanoparticles but also promote their redispersion. Under optimized reaction conditions (518 K, 5 MPa H 2 , and 1 h), the Ru/MAFO catalyst achieves 100% glucose conversion and 59.3% selectivity to 1,2-PG. Notably, the catalyst maintains outstanding activity and stability after six consecutive reaction cycles. This study provides an efficient and robust catalytic strategy for 1,2-PG production from glucose, offering significant insights for designing high-performance and stable catalysts for biomass valorization.