Glycerol transformations on polysaccharide derived mesoporous materials

New polysaccharide based solid acids are excellent catalysts for selective chemical transformations of glycerol. Reasonable selectivities to mono-, di- and triacetylated glycerols can be obtained by controlled microwave activation of glycerol–acetic and solid acid mixtures. Etherifications of glycerol using a range of alcohols have also been achieved and with a degree of selectivity to both 1- and 2-positions. The use of the Starbon® material as a support for palladium further extends the range of heterogeneous catalysed chemistry to the selective oxidations of glycerol to both glycolic and oxalic acids. In all of the reactions, the catalysts can be easily recovered and reused with only a small loss in activity.