Structural Requirements for Chemoselective Ammonolysis of Ethylene Glycol to Ethanolamine over Supported Cobalt Catalysts

Ethylene glycol is regarded as a promising C2 platform molecule due to the fast development of its production from sustainable biomass. This study inquired the structural requirements of Co-based catalysts for the liquid-phase ammonolysis of ethylene glycol to value-added ethanolamine. We showed that the rate and selectivity of ethylene glycol ammonolysis on γ-Al2O3-supported Co catalysts were strongly affected by the metal particle size within the range of 2–10 nm, among which Co nanoparticles of ~4 nm exhibited both the highest ethanolamine selectivity and the highest ammonolysis rate based on the total Co content. Doping of a moderate amount of Ag further promoted the catalytic activity without affecting the selectivity. Combined kinetic and infrared spectroscopic assessments unveiled that the addition of Ag significantly destabilized the adsorbed NH3 on the Co surface, which would otherwise be strongly bound to the active sites and inhibit the rate-determining dehydrogenation step of ethylene glycol.