Hydrothermally Stable Ruthenium–Zirconium–Tungsten Catalyst for Cellulose Hydrogenolysis to Polyols

In this work, we describe a catalytic material based on a zirconium-tungsten oxide with ruthenium for the hydrogenolysis of microcrystalline cellulose under hydrothermal conditions. With these catalysts, polyols can be produced with high yields. High and stable polyol yields were also achieved in recycling tests. A catalyst with 4.5 wt% ruthenium in total achieved a carbon efficiency of almost 100%. The prepared Zr-W oxide is mesoporous and largely stable under hydrothermal conditions (493 K and 65 bar hydrogen). A decomposition into the components ZrO2 and WO3 could be observed at temperatures of 1050 K in air.