Mechanism insights on the Lewis acidity regulations of a supported Ru catalyst for the selective hydrogenation of bisphenol A

Abstract

Hydrogenated bisphenol A is a high-performance, long-term color-stable, safe and environmentally friendly monomer material for epoxy resins. This research demonstrates the in-depth investigation of the reaction mechanism for the hydrogenation of bisphenol A over a highly dispersed ultra-small ruthenium nanoparticle catalyst in a continuous fixed-bed hydrogenation reactor. Findings reveal that the acidic support promotes the adsorption of aromatic functional groups, ultimately enhancing the hydrogenation activity in coordination with the highly dispersed ultra-small ruthenium nanoparticle catalyst. Interestingly, the acidity regulation of the catalyst support by MgO modification not only favors the formation of highly dispersed ultra-small Ru nanoparticles but also inhibits the side reactions of C–OH and C–C cleavage, finally leading to an improved selectivity for the target product. Furthermore, an ingeniously controllable three-stage hydrogenation reaction is designed, which provides valuable insights into the reaction mechanism.