Selective conversion of glycerol into 1,2-propanediol in the presence of a Pd/Fe₂O₃catalyst, under inert atmosphere, is reported for the first time; the hydrogen necessary for the hydrogenolysis reaction derives from the dehydrogenation of the solvent (2-propanol or ethanol), promoted by supported palladium, itself reduced “in situ” by alcohols.

The transfer hydrogenolysis of glycerol promoted by supported palladium catalysts is reported. The reactions were carried out under mild conditions (453K and 5 bar of N-2) in absence of added hydrogen by using the reaction solvent, 2-propanol, as hydrogen source. The catalytic results are interpreted in terms of metal (Pd)-metal (Co or Fe) interaction that modifies the electronic properties of palladium and affords bimetallic PdM sites (M= Co or Fe), thus enhancing the catalytic properties of the systems in the conversion of glycerol as well as in the selectivity to 1,2-propanediol and 1-propanol. The transfer hydrogenolysis mechanism is here elucidated and involves the glycerol dehydration to 1-hydroxyacetone and the subsequent hydrogenation of 1-hydroxyacetone to propylene glycol

In the last few years, high-entropy oxides (HEOs), a new class of single-phase solid solution materials, have attracted growing interest in both academic research and industry for their great potential in a broad range of applications. This work investigates the possibility of producing pure single-phase HEOs with spinel structure (HESOs) under milder conditions (shorter heat treatments at lower temperatures) than standard solid-state techniques, thus reducing the environmental impact. For this purpose, a large set of HESOs was prepared via sol-gel and electrospinning (by using two different polymers). Ten different equimolar combinations of five metals were considered, and the influence of the synthesis method and conditions on the microstructure, morphology and crystalline phase purity of the produced HESOs was investigated by a combination of characterization techniques. On the other hand, the presence of specific metals, such as copper, lead to the formation of minority secondary phase(s). Finally, two representative pure single-phase HESOs were preliminarily evaluated as active anode materials in lithium-ion batteries and possible strategies to enhance their rate capability and cyclability were proposed and successfully implemented. The approaches introduced here can be extensively applied for the optimization of HEO properties targeting different applications.