Production of Renewable Hexanols from Mechanocatalytically Depolymerized Cellulose by Using Ir‐ReO x /SiO 2 catalyst

Hexanols were produced in high yield by conversion of cellulose over Ir‐ReO x /SiO 2 (molar ratio Re/Ir=2) catalyst in biphasic reaction system ( n ‐decane+H 2 O). The cellulose was depolymerized by mechanocatalysis with the aid of H 2 SO 4 . The influence of solvent amount, reaction temperature and hydrogen pressure was systematically investigated and the highest yield of hexanols reached 60 % under the conditions of n ‐decane/water ∼2 (v/v), 413 K, 10 MPa H 2 for 24 h. Mechanocatalytic depolymerization of cellulose with the aid of H 2 SO 4 or HCl and the use of sufficient n ‐decane were very crucial for the production of hexanols. H 2 SO 4 not only catalyzed cellulose to water‐soluble oligosaccharides but also promoted the hydrogenolysis activity of Ir‐ReO x /SiO 2 catalyst. The role of n ‐decane was to extract hexanols and to suppress over‐hydrogenolysis of hexanols to n ‐hexane.