Greener Epoxidation Reaction of Macaw Palm Oil Using Metal Oxides and Niobium Phosphate as Catalysts

Author(s)

Rafael T. Alarcon ^[1] ; Gilbert Bannach ^[2] ; Éder Tadeu G. Cavalheiro ^[3]

Affiliation

^[1] Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Química de São Carlos. Laboratório de Análise Térmica, Eletroanalítica e Química de Soluções - Brasil

^[2] Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Ciências. Laboratório de Análise Térmica e Polímeros, Departamento de Química - Brasil

^[3] Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Química de São Carlos. Laboratório de Análise Térmica, Eletroanalítica e Química de Soluções - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society; v. 36, n. 1 2024-05-31.

Abstract

The present work focused on the screening process of different inorganic oxides and different temperatures for the epoxidation reaction of macaw palm vegetable oil without using solvent, a promising Brazilian biomass that can substitute other vegetable oils (e.g., soybean oil) in technological applications. This oil has an iodine value of 108.48 g of I2 per 100 g being categorized as a semi-dry oil. The epoxidized vegetable oil can be applied in manifold areas in polymer science. The epoxidation reaction here presented avoided organic solvents and organic acids and aimed to produce a greener route using metal oxides or niobium phosphate as a peroxide-activating catalyst. The experimental parameters were maintained as 10 mol% of catalyst loading and a time of 24 h; however, the temperature for some catalysts was changed to improve the epoxide conversion. Experiments were measured by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). Experiments using titanium oxide (TiO2) as a catalyst reached a conversion greater than 84.7%, while experiments using aluminium oxide (Al2O3) or lanthanum oxide (La2O3) achieved conversions of 22.6 and 30.1%, respectively. Furthermore, it was observed that both niobium compounds instantly react with hydrogen peroxide to form peroxy derivatives. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 21/02152-9 - Green syntheses, characterization and employment of novel biopolymers from vegetable / essential oils using sulfur crosslinker compounds
• Grantee: Gilbert Bannach
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 22/15211-6 - Preparation and Application of Composite Electrodes Based on Graphite and Polymers: miniaturization, screen printed electrodes and flexible sensors
• Grantee: Éder Tadeu Gomes Cavalheiro
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 21/14879-0 - New synthetic method of poly-hidroxyurethanes from triacylglycerol using catalysts or triacylmelamine to inhibition side reactions
• Grantee: Rafael Turra Alarcon
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral