A research group led by Professor Keiichi Tomishige at Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University has successfully developed a high-performance catalyst that produces raw material for high-performance fibers as part of Industrial Technology Research and Development Project by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

 By a reaction of water solution of glycerol with hydrogen using the newly developed catalyst, the research group has obtained 38% yield of 1,3-propanediol that can be converted into useful fibrous materials. The catalyst is easy to recover and reuse without performance degradation.

 The research result has been published online in Journal of Catalysis as Priority Communication on May 14, 2010. The paper’s title is “Direct hydrogenolysis of glycerol into 1,3-propanediol over rhenium-modified iridium catalyst” (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jcat).

More Information (Japanese)

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Professor Keiichi Tomishige

Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University

TEL/FAX: 81-22-795-7214

E-mail: tomi*erec.che.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

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