Mechanism study on direct synthesis of glycerol carbonate from CO2 and glycerol over shaped CeO2 model catalysts

Direct synthesis of glycerol carbonate (GC) from CO2 and glycerol (a byproduct of biodiesel production) is a route to obtain a high-value chemical from waste and low-cost byproducts but has not yet industrialized due to the lack of efficient catalysts. Ceria (CeO2) exhibits the highest catalytic activity and GC selectivity among the heterogeneous catalysts studied so far. However, the mechanism of this reaction over CeO2 catalysts has not been studied in detail. Herein, we synthesized CeO2 nanocrystals with different morphologies as model catalysts that can predominantly expose {111}, {110}, and {100} facets, and their surface acid-base properties were characterized using high-sensitivity temperature-programmed desorption of NH3 and CO2 with quadrupole mass spectrometry as detector (NH3-TPD-QMS and CO2-TPD-QMS). We found that the catalytic performance (GC formation rate) is strictly linearly dependent on the density of basic sites, which is relevant to the adsorption and activation of CO2. In addition, to illustrate a more microscopic reaction mechanisms underlying the formation of GC from CO2 and glycerol on all three low-index surfaces (111), (110) and (100), we also performed comprehensive first principles calculations. A three-step Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH) mechanism was identified in which the annulation reaction is the rate-limiting step. The CeO2 (111) surface exhibits the lowest overall activation energy, which agrees well with the catalytic performance that the CeO2 nano-octahedra, predominantly exposing {111} facets, have the highest GC formation rate. This work is the first to combine experiments on shaped CeO2 model catalysts with first-principles calculations to gain insight into the mechanism of direct synthesis of GC from CO2 and glycerol, and will aid in the development of catalysts with improved performance.