title: Efficient green methanol synthesis from glycerol.
abstract: The production of biodiesel from the transesterification of plant-derived triglycerides with methanol has been commercialized extensively. Impure glycerol is obtained as a by-product at roughly one-tenth the mass of the biodiesel. Utilization of this crude glycerol is important in improving the viability of the overall process. Here we show that crude glycerol can be reacted with water over very simple basic or redox oxide catalysts to produce methanol in high yields, together with other useful chemicals, in a one-step low-pressure process. Our discovery opens up the possibility of recycling the crude glycerol produced during biodiesel manufacture. Furthermore, we show that molecules containing at least two hydroxyl groups can be converted into methanol, which demonstrates some aspects of the generality of this new chemistry.
authors.affiliation: Cardiff Catalysis Institute, School of Chemistry. Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK.
authors.forename: Muhammad H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Haider
authors.affiliation: Cardiff Catalysis Institute, School of Chemistry. Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK.
authors.forename: Nicholas F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Dummer
authors.affiliation: Cardiff Catalysis Institute, School of Chemistry. Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK.
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.affiliation: Cardiff Catalysis Institute, School of Chemistry. Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.affiliation: Hull Research &Technology Centre, Saltend, Hull HU12 8DS, UK.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.affiliation: Cardiff Catalysis Institute, School of Chemistry. Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK.
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moulijn
authors.affiliation: Cardiff Catalysis Institute, School of Chemistry. Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK.
authors.forename: Stuart H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Cardiff Catalysis Institute, School of Chemistry. Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK.
authors.forename: Graham J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Hutchings