| abstract |
The invention provides a process for the production of glycols comprising the step of adding to a reactor vessel a saccharide-containing feedstock, a solvent, hydrogen, a retro-aldol catalyst composition and a catalyst precursor and maintaining the reactor vessel at a temperature and a pressure, wherein the catalyst precursor comprises one or more cations selected from groups 8, 9, 10 and 11 of the periodic table, and wherein the catalyst precursor is reduced in the presence of hydrogen in the reactor vessel into an unsupported hydrogenation catalyst. |