4.7 Article

Microwave-assisted valorization of glycerol to solketal using biomass-derived heterogeneous catalyst

Journal

FUEL
Volume 345, Issue -, Pages -

Publisher

ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2023.128190

Keywords

Acetalization; Bioglycerol; Heterogeneous catalysis; Solketal; Valorization

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The conversion of glycerol to solketal, a fuel additive, was successfully achieved using a sulfonic acid-functionalized aromatic carbonaceous material as a heterogeneous catalyst under microwave irradiation. The optimal glycerol:acetone molar ratio for the acetalization reaction was found to be 1:5, and a catalyst dosage of 8 wt% at 70 degrees C for 10 minutes resulted in a high conversion of bioglycerol with 100% selectivity to solketal. The acetalization reaction had an activation energy of 35.8 kJ mol 1, and the catalyst showed modest loss in activity over six cycles.
The increase in biodiesel production worldwide makes valorisation of the by-product of this process (glycerol) essential for economic sustainability. Hence, conversion of bioglycerol to platform chemicals such as (2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methanol (solketal), a fuel additive, is highly desirable. In this study, glycerol is converted to solketal using a sulfonic acid-functionalized aromatic carbonaceous material (SAFACAM) bearing ancillary hydrophilic groups and acting as a heterogeneous catalyst under microwave irradiation. For the pro-duction of solketal by acetalization, an optimal glycerol:acetone molar ratio of 1:5 was recorded. Using a catalyst dosage of 8 wt% at 70 degrees C for just 10 mins under microwave irradiation (50 W, 100 psi) returned a 98.1 +/- 0.4 % conversion of bioglycerol with 100 % selectivity to solketal. The activation energy of the acetalization reaction was determined to be 35.8 kJ mol 1. Catalyst recovery was probed over six cycles, with a modest loss in activity (82.3 +/- 0.2 % conversion in the sixth cycle) resulting from limited active site leaching, as confirmed by EDS data.

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