In the quest for sustainable chemical production, the efficient conversion of biomass-derived glycerol into high-value lactic acid has emerged as a critical challenge. Lactic acid is a key platform chemical widely used in the production of biodegradable plastics, food preservatives, and pharmaceuticals. However, traditional catalytic systems for this transformation often suffer from low selectivity, require harsh alkaline conditions, or rely on expensive noble metal catalysts with insufficient stability. Overcoming these challenges is essential for further enhancing the activity, durability, and stability of Pt-based catalysts for the selective oxidation of glycerol to lactic acid.
Recently, a research team led by Prof. Zhijie Wu and Prof. Weiyu Song (China University of Petroleum-Beijing) and Prof. Wenhao Luo (Inner Mongolia University) developed a highly efficient PtIn nanoalloy catalyst supported on Sn-MFI zeolite that overcomes these limitations, achieving superior activity and lactic acid selectivity under mild, base-free conditions. The results were published in Chinese Journal of Catalysis (DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(26)65047-4) .
The catalyst was synthesized via a facile co-impregnation method, where Pt and In precursors were loaded onto hydrothermally synthesized Sn-MFI zeolite, followed by calcination and reduction. The incorporation of In into Pt nanoparticles leads to the formation of well-dispersed PtIn nanoalloys with electron-rich Pt species, as confirmed by HAADF-STEM, XPS, and EXAFS analyses. The Sn active sites in the zeolite framework provide Lewis acidity for subsequent dehydration and isomerization steps, creating a synergistic effect with the PtIn alloy for the one-pot conversion of glycerol to lactic acid.
The optimized Pt 0.5 In 1.0 /Sn-MFI catalyst exhibited outstanding catalytic performance, achieving 96.8% glycerol conversion with 73.1% lactic acid selectivity under base-free conditions at 120 °C. The turnover frequency (TOF) reached an impressive 1283 h ‒1 that the PtIn alloy structure remained intact, and no significant metal leaching or deactivation was detected. Detailed kinetic studies and density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the enhanced performance originates from the electronic modification of Pt by In, which weakens the adsorption of intermediates and lowers the activation energy barrier for the rate-determining O–H bond cleavage step. This work provides a new strategy for designing efficient, low-Pt-loading catalysts for biomass conversion, opening new avenues for sustainable chemical production.
About the journal
Chinese Journal of Catalysis is co-sponsored by Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Chemical Society, and it is currently published by Elsevier group. This monthly journal publishes in English timely contributions of original and rigorously reviewed manuscripts covering all areas of catalysis. The journal publishes Reviews, Accounts, Communications, Articles, Highlights, Perspectives, and Viewpoints of highly scientific values that help understanding and defining of new concepts in both fundamental issues and practical applications of catalysis. Chinese Journal of Catalysis ranks among the top six journals in Applied Chemistry with a current SCI impact factor of 17.2.
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Chinese Journal of Catalysis
PtIn nanoalloy supported on Sn-MFI for efficient selective oxidation of glycerol to lactic acid
2-Jul-2026