Liquid-phase hydrogenation of 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanedione over supported Ru based catalysts

A series of supported Ru based catalysts (support = AC, Al2O3, SiO2, HZSM-5) were prepared with different methods and applied in the hydrogenation of 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanedione (CBDK) to 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol (CBDO). Detailed catalyst characterizations of XRD, TEM, BET, ICP, XPS and NH3-TPD methods were applied to investigate the support effect and influence of preparation methods. Complete conversion of the substrate was achieved with the selectivity of CBDO up to 99.1% over Ru/AC catalysts. The superiority of Ru/AC catalyst prepared with chemical precipitation method over other counterparts were attributed to the larger specific surface area, smaller metal particle size and better Ru dispersion, which was more favorable for the hydrogenation of CBDK.