Catalytic hydrogenolysis of starch: Kinetic evaluation of selectivity in polyol and monoalcohol formation

A kinetic evaluation of successive stages of the catalytic hydrogenolysis of starch was studied using a ruthenium catalyst to quantify the parameters for the production of polyols and monoalcohols in order to evaluate the relative importance of C---C vs C---O hydrogenolysis. The substrate was converted, in the presence of ruthenium at 473 K and 50 bars, to a mixture of monoalcohols and polyols. The proportion of methanol by weight was approximately 80%.