Abstract: A heterogeneous ruthenium catalyst comprising silicon dioxide as support material, in which the percentage ratio of the Q2 and Q3 structures Q2/Q3 in the silicon dioxide determined by means of solid-state 29Si-NMR is less than 25, a process for preparing a bisglycidyl ether of the formula I where R is CH3 or H, by ring hydrogenation of the corresponding aromatic bisglycidyl ether of the formula II in which the abovementioned heterogeneous ruthenium catalyst is used, and a bisglycidyl ether of the formula I which can be prepared using the abovementioned process.

Abstract: Heterogeneous ruthenium catalyst comprising silicon dioxide as support material, wherein the catalyst surface comprises alkaline earth metal ions (M2+), process for hydrogenating a carbocyclic aromatic group to form the corresponding carbocyclic aliphatic group, in particular a process for preparing bisglycidyl ethers of the formula I where R is CH3 or H, by ring hydrogenation of the corresponding aromatic bisglycidyl ether of the formula II in which the abovementioned heterogeneous ruthenium catalyst is used, and bisglycidyl ethers of the formula I which can be prepared by the abovementioned process.

Abstract: A continuous process for preparing sugar alcohols by catalytic hydrogenation of an aqueous solution of a saccharide, which forms the corresponding sugar alcohol on hydrogenation, in the presence of a ruthenium catalyst which is obtainable by: i) single or multiple treatment of an amorphous silicon-dioxide-based support material with a halogen-free aqueous solution of a low-molecular-weight ruthenium compound and subsequent drying of the treated support material at below 200° C., ii) reducing the solid obtained in i) with hydrogen at from 100 to 350° C., step ii) being carried out immediately after step i), which comprises, before the hydrogenation, bringing the aqueous saccharide solution to be hydrogenated into contact with the support material.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for preparing amines by catalytic hydrogenation of nitroaromatics and subsequent removal of the catalysts from the reaction mixture, which contains at least one aromatic amine and water, which comprises carrying out the removal of the catalysts by means of membrane filtration, which is carried out at a pressure on the suspension side of from 5 to 50 bar, a pressure difference between the suspension side and the permeate side of at least 0.3 bar and a flux rate on the suspension side of from 1 to 6 m/s.