title: Pickering Interfacial Catalysts for solvent-free biomass transformation: physicochemical behavior of non-aqueous emulsions.
abstract: A key challenge in biomass conversion is how to achieve valuable molecules with optimal reactivity in the presence of immiscible reactants. This issue is usually tackled using either organic solvents or surfactants to promote emulsification, making industrial processes expensive and not environmentally friendly. As an alternative, Pickering emulsions using solid particles with tailored designed surface properties can promote phase contact within intrinsically biphasic systems. Here we show that amphiphilic silica nanoparticles bearing a proper combination of alkyl and strong acidic surface groups can generate stable Pickering emulsions of the glycerol/dodecanol system in the temperature range of 35-130°C. We also show that such particles can perform as Pickering Interfacial Catalysts for the acid-catalyzed etherification of glycerol with dodecanol at 150°C. Our findings shed light on some key parameters governing emulsion stability and catalytic activity of Pickering interfacial catalytic systems. This understanding is critical to pave the way toward technological solutions for biomass upgrading able to promote eco-efficient reactions between immiscible organic reagents with neither use of solvents nor surfactants.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Rd., Shanghai 200237, PR China; Eco-Efficient Products and Processes Laboratory (E2P2L), UMI 3464 CNRS - Solvay, 3066 Jin Du Road, Xin Zhuang Ind. Zone, Shanghai 201108, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhaoyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Eco-Efficient Products and Processes Laboratory (E2P2L), UMI 3464 CNRS - Solvay, 3066 Jin Du Road, Xin Zhuang Ind. Zone, Shanghai 201108, PR China.
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tay
authors.affiliation: Eco-Efficient Products and Processes Laboratory (E2P2L), UMI 3464 CNRS - Solvay, 3066 Jin Du Road, Xin Zhuang Ind. Zone, Shanghai 201108, PR China.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pera-Titus
authors.affiliation: Eco-Efficient Products and Processes Laboratory (E2P2L), UMI 3464 CNRS - Solvay, 3066 Jin Du Road, Xin Zhuang Ind. Zone, Shanghai 201108, PR China.
authors.forename: Wen-Juan
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Eco-Efficient Products and Processes Laboratory (E2P2L), UMI 3464 CNRS - Solvay, 3066 Jin Du Road, Xin Zhuang Ind. Zone, Shanghai 201108, PR China.
authors.forename: Samy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benhabbari
authors.affiliation: Eco-Efficient Products and Processes Laboratory (E2P2L), UMI 3464 CNRS - Solvay, 3066 Jin Du Road, Xin Zhuang Ind. Zone, Shanghai 201108, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaoshuang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Eco-Efficient Products and Processes Laboratory (E2P2L), UMI 3464 CNRS - Solvay, 3066 Jin Du Road, Xin Zhuang Ind. Zone, Shanghai 201108, PR China; Laboratoire de Chimie, UMR 5182 CNRS - Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Malcouronne
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Chimie, UMR 5182 CNRS - Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonneviot
authors.affiliation: Eco-Efficient Products and Processes Laboratory (E2P2L), UMI 3464 CNRS - Solvay, 3066 Jin Du Road, Xin Zhuang Ind. Zone, Shanghai 201108, PR China.
authors.forename: Floryan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Campo
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Rd., Shanghai 200237, PR China. Electronic address: wanglimin@ecust.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Limin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Eco-Efficient Products and Processes Laboratory (E2P2L), UMI 3464 CNRS - Solvay, 3066 Jin Du Road, Xin Zhuang Ind. Zone, Shanghai 201108, PR China. Electronic address: jeanmarc.clacens-ext@solvay.com.
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Clacens
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D002384:Catalysis; D007851:Dodecanol / Q000737:chemistry*; D004655:Emulsions / Q000737:chemistry*; D005990:Glycerol / Q000737:chemistry*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004655:Emulsions; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D007851:Dodecanol; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D005990:Glycerol
keywords: Amphiphilic particles; Biomass conversion; Emulsion catalysis; Emulsion stability; Pickering emulsion