A novel isolation and purification method was developed for producing 1,3-propanediol with high purity and high yield from the mixture containing 1,3-propanediol, 1,2-propanediol, glycerol, and glucose. The developed method, which consisted of phase separation and chromatography, was found to be a simple and efficient procedure for the isolation and purification of 1,3-propanediol from the other components in the mixture. The use of a phase separation process allows rapid separation of 1,3-propanediol from interfering compounds and dramatically reduces solvent usage compared to alternative methods. The overall purity and yield of 1,3-propanediol in this study were 98% and 82% in the purification process. respectively. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.