Dehydration of glycerol on H-MFI zeolite investigated by FT-IR

Dehydration of adsorbed glycerol on H-MFI zeolite was investigated by FT-IR. Dehydration of glycerol was confirmed to occur at 353 K. A comparison of the adsorption of acrolein on amorphous silica and on H-MFI suggests that the product on H-MFI upon dehydration of glycerol was acrolein. Although two reaction pathways in which the OH groups on C1 and C2 of glycerol dehydrate were suggested in the acid-catalyzed dehydration of glycerol, the pathway in which the OH groups on C2 dehydrate was found to proceed selectively on H-MFI.

Graphical abstractAdsorbed glycerol on H-MFI zeolite was investigated by FT-IR. Dehydration of glycerol was confirmed to have occurred at 353 K. A comparison of the IR spectra of dehydrated glycerol with the adsorbed acrolein on H-MFI suggests that the product on H-MFI upon dehydration of glycerol was acrolein. Although two reaction pathways were suggested in the acid-catalyzed dehydration of glycerol, acrolein was found to be formed selectively on H-MFI.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide