Catalytic Conversion of Glycerol

Abstract

With the large-scale production of biodiesel, mainly made from vegetable oils, a surplus of glycerol as a coproduct led to a significant reduction in the cost of glycerol, making it more affordable and drawing attention to its potential applications. Glycerol is an alcohol with three hydroxyl groups that can be transformed into useful products through several catalyzed reactions. Depending on the desired reactions and necessary process conditions, catalysis can be carried out using materials with different active sites, such as acids, metals, or redox. Developing catalysts for the various glycerol conversion reactions faces challenges similar to those observed in other catalytic systems. For instance, coke formation and sintering of active sites are common problems that can harm catalysts׳ effectiveness and lifetime. This chapter depicts products that can be obtained from glycerol, and for each one of them, a set of catalysts and the main challenges to be overcome are discussed.