Characterization of FAU zeolites with varied porosities and chemical compositions as catalysts for reactions in immiscible liquid-liquid systems

• Grant number: 23/03158-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2023
• End date: July 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Leandro Pierroni Martins
• Grantee: Leonardo Henrique Pazin
• Supervisor: Cristina Liliana Padro
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), Argentina
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/13453-2 - FAU zeolites with varied porosities and chemical compositions as catalysts for reactions in immiscible liquid-liquid systems, BP.IC

Abstract

This BEPE project intends to carry out the complete acid characterization of FAU catalysts, micro-mesoporous and with varied hydrophilicity, used in the ketalization reaction of glycerol with acetone. The reaction takes place via acid catalysis in a two-phase liquid-liquid system. A set of five catalysts showed that the porosity and affinity of the catalyst with the two phases play an important role in the conversion of glycerol, which varied from 5 to 80% for the same reaction conditions. Therefore, characterization is necessary to help establish function-property relationships. For this purpose, the Universidad Nacional del Litoral catalysis group was chosen due to the great experience, infrastructure, and lasting collaboration that the catalysis group of UNESP maintains with the Argentine university. (AU)