"Development of Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Sustainable Production of Polycyclic Carbonates from Soybean Oil"

• Grant number: 25/00453-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: January 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Ubirajara Pereira Rodrigues Filho
• Grantee: Saddam Hussain
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project aims to create innovative heterogeneous catalysts for the cyclocarbonation of epoxides from renewable feedstocks-chiefly epoxidised soybean oil (ESO)-using carbon dioxide (CO¿) as a carbon source. Two complementary catalyst families will be explored. (i) Alumina-decorated silica bearing Lewis-acid and hydrogen-bond sites will be surface-silylated with trialkoxysilanes carrying tethered tetraalkyl-ammonium bromide (¿Si-TAA¿Br¿), yielding bifunctional acid/nucleophile solids.(ii) Zeolite Y (ZY) hybrids will first be impregnated with potassium iodide (ZY/KI) to introduce I¿ nucleophiles alongside the framework's intrinsic acidity, then silylated with the same TAA¿Br¿ groups (ZY/KI-¿Si-TAA¿Br¿). Pristine ZY/KI and pristine alumina-decorated silica (no silylation) will be evaluated as controls to isolate the contribution of the tethered ammonium layer.Catalysts will be synthesised, fully characterised, and tested in a high-pressure batch reactor with ESO and neat CO¿. Conversion and selectivity will be quantified by epoxide titration, FT-IR, and ¹H/¹³C NMR; catalyst´s residue analysis (halide, Si and Al), viscosity, free acidity, and electronic spectroscopy will verify carbonate quality. A factorial design combined with response-surface methodology will examine the effects and interactions of temperature, pressure, reaction time, solvent ratio, catalyst loading, and catalyst morphology. Catalyst durability and recyclability will be assessed through successive cycles.The formation of five-membered cyclic carbonates embeds CO¿ into stable, value-added chemicals, advancing carbon-capture and utilisation (CCU). The work adheres to green-chemistry principles and directly supports SDGs 9, 12 and 13 by turning CO¿ into a useful feedstock, minimising hazardous waste, and fostering clean, industrially relevant technology.