A weakly basic Co/CeOx catalytic system for one-pot conversion of cellulose to diols: Kungfu on eggs

A controlled, weakly basic Co/CeOx catalyst was designed for one-pot conversion of cellulose to ethylene glycol (EG) and 1,2-propylene glycol (1,2-PG) to achieve near-equivalent yield. The efficiency is mainly attributed to Con+–Ox–Ce3+ base–acid pairs that hindered humin formation by ensuring a precise balance across the various steps of the reaction.