Abstract: The recent research progress in the catalytic hydrogenolysis of glycerol，which is the main byproduct of biodiesel， was briefly generalized.The catalytic activity and selectivity，as well as the proposed mechanisms of the noble metal catalyst and transition metal catalyst respectively used for glycerol hydrogenolysis，were summarized and illustrated.According to previous studies，a relatively large number of 1，3-propanediol（maximum yield up to 38%) could both be obtained by the technology that adding organic solvent into the catalytic systems，such as Pt/WO₃ supported catalyst，ReOx-modified Rh/SiO₂，and Ir/SiO₂，as well as the vapor phase catalytic process with Cu-STA（silicotungstic acid）/SiO₂ catalyst.Highly dispersed nano-sized Cu based catalyst had a higher activity，selectivity，and stability in the catalytic hydrogenolysis of glycerol to produce propanediol，which contributed a bright prospect in industrial production，and nano-sized Co based catalyst had drawn much attention due to a specific morphology and good catalytic effect.

Key words: glycerol, hydrogenolysis, propanediol