Biodiesel-Derived Waste Glycerol as a Green Template for Creating Mesopores in the ZSM-5 Catalyst for Aromatics Production Applications.

The present study provides a novel sustainable approach for the synthesis of the ZSM-5 catalyst using biodiesel-derived waste glycerol as a green template as well as a mesopore creator, which is here reported for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The use of bioglycerol in the preparation of ZSM-5 (Zn-Z-G and Zn-Z-T) materials exhibited a typical MFI zeolite structure, indicating glycerol played a similar role to that of a typical (TPA+) template in the formation of the ZSM-5 zeolite structure. The Zn-Z-G material also exhibited a large mesopore in the ZSM-5 pore structure, suggesting that glycerol played both template and mesopore creator roles. Interestingly, Zn-Z-GT prepared by the dual-template route using bioglycerol along with typical TPA+ showed a MFI zeolite structure with special catalytic features such as hierarchical micromesopores and well-balanced acid sites. These results reveal that the use of bioglycerol along with a typical TPA+ template had a promotional effect on creating such special properties in the Zn-Z-GT material. The Zn-Z-GT catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic performance in the naphtha aromatization reaction, resulting in achieving ∼58 wt % of the aromatic product and useful gas byproduct (14 wt %) with a minimum coke content (∼4 wt %) in a 12 h reaction period ascribed to its combined effect of hierarchical micromesopores and well-balanced acidity with optimum Lewis acid sites. The liquid product possessing high alkyl-aromatics with a high octane value (RON ∼ 109) produced in the present study can be used as an octane booster for liquid gasoline. The high alkyl-aromatics (>50 wt %) content of the liquid product also attracts various petrochemical applications. The effective utilization of waste bioglycerol as a green template and mesopore creator for the preparation of Zn-Z-GT can exhibit sustainability in the resultant material.

Correction: Conversion of bio-derived crude glycerol into renewable high-octane gasoline-stock.

Correction for 'Conversion of bio-derived crude glycerol into renewable high-octane gasoline-stock' by Vijendra Singh et al., Chem. Commun., 2022, 58, 4873-4876, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2CC01449A.

Conversion of bio-derived crude glycerol into renewable high-octane gasoline-stock.

Here, we report an efficient catalytic process that operates on a bi-metallic ZSM-5 supported catalyst (0.1Ga-1Zn/ZSM-5) for 100% carbon conversion of glycerol to produce 71.4C% liquid fuel-stock possessing a high concentration of alkyl-aromatics and octane potential (>97 RON) for fuel applications, achieved and reported for the first time to the best of our knowledge. In addition, the H2-rich (36 mol%) gas stream produced as a byproduct is attractive for green fuel applications. The process adds up to an ∼80% increase in the value addition of bio-glycerol, which improves the overall fuel yield of the biodiesel production process towards improved atom efficiency and process economy.