The hydrogenolysis of sorbitol and various C5-C3 polyols (xylitol; erythritol; 1,2- 1,4- and 2,3-butandiol; 1,2-propandiol; glycerol) have been investigated at low molecular hydrogen pressure (5 bar) by using Pd/Fe₃O₄, as heterogeneous catalyst and water as the reaction medium. Catalytic experiments show that the carbon chain of polyols is initially shortened through dehydrogenation/decarbonylation and dehydrogenation/retro-aldol mechanisms followed by a series of cascade reactions that include dehydrogenation/decarbonylation and dehydration/hydrogenation processes. At 240 °C, sorbitol is fully converted into lower alcohols with ethanol being the main reaction product in liquid phase.

已在低分子氢压（5 bar）下研究了山梨糖醇和各种C5-C3多元醇（木糖醇;赤藓糖醇; 1,2- 1,4-和2,3-丁二醇; 1,2-丙二醇;甘油）的氢解作用。以Pd / Fe ₃ O ₄为非均相催化剂，以水为反应介质。催化实验表明，多元醇的碳链最初是通过脱氢/脱羰和脱氢/复古-醛醇机理而缩短的，随后是一系列级联反应，包括脱氢/脱羰和脱水/氢化过程。在240°C下，山梨糖醇完全转化为低级醇，乙醇是液相中的主要反应产物。