Hydrogenolysis of polyesters to diols over Cu/MgAlOx catalyst

The recycling of spent polyesters into oxygen-containing chemicals provides a novel way to access such chemicals, and is also of great significance for solving the problems caused by polyester waste. Herein, we present hydrogenolysis of aliphatic polyesters into diols over MgAlO x supported Cu catalysts (Cu/MgAlO x -m) via a methanolysis-hydrogenation strategy under relatively mild conditions (e.g., 200 °C, 4 MPa). The as-designed Cu/MgAlO x -10 catalyst with Cu content of 10 wt.% shows the best performance, which could convert polycaprolactone into 1,6-hexanediol in a high yield of 98.0%. It is revealed that the Cu species in the catalyst mainly exist in the form of Cu 0 and Cu + , in which Cu 0 is responsible for H 2 activation, and Cu + for ester group activation and stabilization of reactive intermediates. The ratio of Cu 0 to Cu + species determines the selectivity towards diols. This work provides a highly efficient catalyst for hydrogenolysis of aliphatic polyesters into diols, which may have industrial application prospects.