Selective synthesis of triacetyl glyceride biofuel additive via acetylation of glycerol over NiO-supported TiO2 catalyst enhanced by non-microwave instant heating

NiO-supported TiO2 (nNiO/TiO2) as highly active and selective catalysts for triacetyl glyceride (TAG) biofuel additive production via acetylation of glycerol is reported. The catalysts are prepared by incorporating various amounts of Ni2+ (n = 10, 30 and 50 wt% Ni added during catalysts preparation) onto the TiO2 support using simple sol-gel approach followed by calcination. The spectroscopy and microscopy analyses reveal that the NiO nanoparticles (ca. 6 nm) are uniformly distributed on the surface of TiO2 support where octahedrally coordinated NiO as active species is formed upon calcination. Among the catalysts prepared, 30NiO/TiO2 with strongest acidity and highest accessible surface area is found to be the most active in the acetylation of glycerol with acetic acid, achieving 90.2% glycerol conversion with 65.9% selective to TAG under non-microwave instant heating conditions (170 degrees C, 30 min). In addition, 30NiO/TiO2 also shows better catalytic performance than previous reported catalysts. No significant deterioration in catalytic activity is shown by 30NiO/TiO2 after eight successive runs, thus offering a green pathway for synthesizing TAG vehicle fuel additives with high selectivity.

Automated summary

NiO-supported TiO2 catalysts were prepared for the production of triacetyl glyceride biofuel additives via acetylation of glycerol. Among the catalysts, 30NiO/TiO2 showed the strongest acidity and highest accessible surface area, exhibiting high activity and selectivity in the acetylation reaction. The catalyst maintained good catalytic performance even after eight successive runs, providing a green pathway for synthesizing TAG vehicle fuel additives with high selectivity.