Selective amination of 1,2-propanediol over Co/La3O4 catalyst prepared by liquid-phase reduction

The catalytic coupling of alcohol and ammonia is an environmentally friendly process. Cobalt-based catalysts, modified by supports (including CeO2, Fe3O4, Nb2O5, La3O4 and Al2O3), and prepared by the liquid-phase reduction, were used for the amination of 1,2-propanediol. The screened nano-Co/La3O4 catalyst exhibited an excellent catalytic performance of 68% conversion and 89% selectivity toward 2-amino-1-propanol under optimal conditions. The characterizations of the catalyst was performed by XRD, XPS, BET, TEM, TG, and CO2-TPD, revealing a relatively large specific surface area, strongly alkaline sites and a Co-La-O transition phase, which were responsible for the selective catalysis of 1,2-propanediol. The efficient construction of cobalt-based catalysts on the basis of the active species is key to improving the efficiency of the reaction process.