Synthesis of Glycerol Carbonate from Glycerol and CO2 Using CaO as a Dehydrating Agent

Abstract Glycerol carbonate, a high value‐added chemical, is produced from glycerol, a surplus biomass byproduct of biodiesel production, and carbon dioxide, an inexhaustible raw material. In this study, calcium oxide (CaO) was used as a regenerable dehydrating agent, and Zn(OTf) 2 /1,10‐phenanthroline was used as the catalyst. Stirring with a common magnetic stirrer bar was found to be unsuitable for the reaction, owing to the solidification of calcium components after dehydration. However, mechanical stirring effectively resolves this issue and produces a high yield. The only byproduct of the reaction is H 2 O, since CaO is regenerable. In addition, because the carbon atoms of biomass‐derived glycerol are obtained from CO 2 fixed by plant photosynthesis, all the carbon atoms of glycerol carbonate can be said to be derived from CO 2 . This approach can be used for the syntheses of other cyclic carbonates as well.