Recent Advances in Catalytic Conversion of Glycerol

Abstract The article underlines and discusses the state-of-the-art accomplishments in the catalytic conversion of glycerol (1,2,3-propanetriol) to fuels and value-added chemicals in the past five years (2008–2012). The reactions include steam reforming, aqueous-phase reforming, hydrogenolysis, oxidation, dehydration, esterification, etherification, carboxylation, acetalization, and chlorination. Typical products are hydrogen, propanediols, dihydroxyacetone, glyceric acid, acrolein, glyceride, polyglycerol, glycerol carbonate, acetals, ketals, and epichlorohydrine. Recent studies on the catalysts, reaction conditions, and possible pathways are primarily discussed. They indicate that major breakthroughs are achieved by the use of multifunctional catalysts, process intensification and integrated reactions. Literature survey suggests that future work on the catalytic conversion of glycerol for commercial goals particularly requires new catalysts, innovative reactor engineering, and close multidisciplinary partnership. Keywords: GlycerolBiodieselCatalystReformingOxidationDehydrationAcetalizationEsterificationEtherificationCarboxylationAcetalizationChlorination ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors thank anonymous reviewers and editors for their invaluable comments and suggestions which help improve the article. We wish to thank the financial support from the National Natural Scientific Foundation of China (21373185), the Distinguished Young Scholar Grant from the Natural Scientific Foundation of Zhejiang Province (R4100436 and LQ12B0-3004), Zhejiang ''151'' talents project, and Project (2009C14G2020021 and 2009R 50020-12) from Science and Technology Department of Zhejiang Provincial Government for the related scientific research and development.