Sulfonic-functionalized SBA-15 as an active catalyst for the gas-phase dehydration of Glycerol

Sulfonic-functionalized mesoporous silicas (SBA-15) were used as catalysts in the gas-phase dehydration of glycerol at moderate temperature (275 and 300 °C). For the tested conditions all the samples show a very high catalytic activity. At the lowest temperature and for 140 h on stream a nearly constant selectivity to acrolein of ca. 80% could be obtained. Both the pore size and density of acid sites play an important role in the deactivation rate and selectivity: larger pore size may extend significantly the catalytic activity and high density of acid sites may reduce acrolein production. Increasing the temperature to 300 °C is beneficial to the acrolein production, but it also leads to an increase of the deactivation rate.

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► Sulfonic-functionalized mesoporous silica (SBA-15) is highly active for glycerol dehydration.
► Catalyst long-term stability can be achieved by the adequate choice of pore width and density of acid sites.
► A nearly constant selectivity to acrolein above 80% may be obtained at moderate temperature (275 °C).