A new Catalysis Science & Technology Perspective by Yoshinao Nakagawa and Keiichi Tomishige at Tohoku University, Japan, describes the development of catalytic systems for the selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol. The proposed mechanisms of these systems and the applicability to other biomass-derived substrates are also discussed.
The use of renewable resources as replacements for fossil fuels is essential for the sustainable development of our society. As biomass is the only renewable source of organic carbon, replacements for petroleum-derived liquid fuels and plastics require the use of biomass.
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Heterogeneous catalysis of the glycerol hydrogenolysis
Yoshinao Nakagawa and Keiichi Tomishige
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C0CY00054J