title: Base-free, one-pot chemocatalytic conversion of glycerol to methyl lactate using supported gold catalysts.
abstract: We report an efficient one-pot conversion of glycerol (GLY) to methyl lactate (MLACT) in methanol in good yields (73 % at 95 % GLY conversion) by using Au nanoparticles on commercially available ultra-stable zeolite-Y (USY) as the catalyst (160 °C, air, 47 bar pressure, 0.25 M GLY, GLY-to-Au mol ratio of 1407, 10 h). The best results were obtained with zeolite USY-600, a catalyst that has both Lewis and Brønsted sites. This methodology provides a direct chemo-catalytic route for the synthesis of MLACT from GLY. MLACT is stable under the reaction conditions, and the Au/USY catalyst was recycled without a decrease in the activity and selectivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen (The Netherlands), Fax: (+31) 50-363-4479; Department of Sustainable Chemistry and Technology, Food and Biobased Research, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Bornseweilanden 9, 6700 AA, Wageningen, Wageningen (The Netherlands).
authors.forename: Rajeesh Kumar
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Pazhavelikkakath Purushothaman
authors.forename: Jacco
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Haveren
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Melián-Cabrera
authors.forename: Ernst R H
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: van Eck
authors.forename: Hero J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Heeres
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D005990:Glycerol / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D007773:Lactates / Q000737:chemistry*; D017641:Zeolites / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D007773:Lactates; C028444:methyl lactate; D017641:Zeolites; D006046:Gold; D005990:Glycerol
keywords: gold; green chemistry; heterogeneous catalysts; nanoparticles; zeolites