The invention relates to a catalyst for preparing 1, 3-
propylene glycol through hydrogenation of beta-
propiolactone and a preparation method and application thereof.The catalyst comprises an
active component, a structural auxiliary agent, an electronic auxiliary agent and a carrier, the
active component of the catalyst is Cu
metal, the structural auxiliary agent comprises one or more of Al, Zr, Zn,
graphite and
carbon nitride, the electronic auxiliary agent comprises one or more of Mn, P, La and Ce, and the carrier is a carrier. The carrier is SiO2, and in the catalyst, the content of Cu
metal is 20-40 wt%, the content of the structural auxiliary agent is 0.1-20 wt%, and the content of the electronic auxiliary agent is 0.1-2 wt%. Compared with the prior art, the method has the advantages that the
raw material beta-
propiolactone is high in
thermal stability and activity, side reactions in the
hydrogenation process can be effectively reduced, the
copper catalyst is high in hydrogenation activity and selectivity, the process is simple and efficient, the production continuity degree is high, subsequent separation and purification are simple, the product purity is high, and the method is suitable for large-scale production.