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Abstract

Sugar alcohols are prepared by catalytically hydrogenating the corresponding monosaccharides and oligosaccharides in the liquid phase over a heterogeneous ruthenium catalyst, with the exception of the preparation of sorbitol, wherein the heterogeneous ruthenium catalyst is prepared by: i) treating a support material based on amorphous silicon dioxide comprising at least 95% by weight of silicon dioxide and less than 1% by weight aluminum oxide, calculated as Al.sub.2O.sub.3, one or more times with a halogen-free aqueous solution of a low molecular weight ruthenium compound which is a ruthenium (III) salt or a metal ruthenate and subsequently drying the treated support material at a temperature below 200.degree. C., and ii) reducing the solid obtained in i) by means of hydrogen at a temperature ranging from 100 to 350.degree. C., wherein step ii) is carried out directly after step i), and wherein the ruthenium content in the catalyst ranges from 0.1 to 5% by weight, based on the support material.

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First Claim