Homogeneous Reforming of Aqueous Ethylene Glycol to Glycolic Acid and Pure Hydrogen Catalyzed by Pincer‐Ruthenium Complexes Capable of Metal–Ligand Cooperation
You‐Quan Zou, Niklas von Wolff, Michael Rauch, Moran Feller, Quan‐Quan Zhou, Aviel Anaby, Yael Diskin‐Posner, Linda J. W. Shimon, Liat Avram, Yehoshoa Ben‐David, David Milstein
Abstract
Abstract Glycolic acid is a useful and important α‐hydroxy acid that has broad applications. Herein, the homogeneous ruthenium catalyzed reforming of aqueous ethylene glycol to generate glycolic acid as well as pure hydrogen gas, without concomitant CO 2 emission, is reported. This approach provides a clean and sustainable direction to glycolic acid and hydrogen, based on inexpensive, readily available, and renewable ethylene glycol using 0.5 mol % of catalyst. In‐depth mechanistic experimental and computational studies highlight key aspects of the PNNH‐ligand framework involved in this transformation.