title: Glycidol, a Valuable Substrate for the Synthesis of Monoalkyl Glyceryl Ethers: A Simplified Life Cycle Approach.
abstract: The disposal of any waste by recovering it within the production plant represents the ultimate goal of every biorefinery. In this scenario, the selective preparation of monoalkyl glyceryl ethers (MAGEs) starting from glycidol, obtained as byproduct in the epichlorohydrin production plant, represents a very promising strategy. Here, we report the synthesis of MAGEs through the reaction of glycidol with alcohols catalyzed by a green homogeneous Lewis acids catalyst, such as BiIIItriflate, under very mild reaction conditions. To evaluate the green potential of the proposed alternative, a simplified life cycle assessment (LCA) approach was followed by comparing the environmental performance of the proposed innovative route to prepare MAGEs with that of the most investigated pathway from glycerol. A considerable reduction of all impact categories considered was observed in our experimental conditions, suggesting that the glycidol-to-MAGEs route can be a valuable integration to the glycerol-to-MAGEs chain. Thanks to the use of primary data within the LCA model, the results achieved are a very good approximation of the real case.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biology "Adolfo Zambelli", University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ricciardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Chemistry "Toso Montanari'', University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 4, 40135, Bologna, Italy.|Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca Industriale "Energia e Ambiente", Via Angherà 22, 47900, Rimini, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Passarini
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Chemistry "Toso Montanari'', University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 4, 40135, Bologna, Italy.|Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca Industriale "Energia e Ambiente", Via Angherà 22, 47900, Rimini, Italy.
authors.forename: Ivano
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vassura
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biology "Adolfo Zambelli", University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Proto
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biology "Adolfo Zambelli", University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy.
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Capacchione
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biology "Adolfo Zambelli", University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cucciniello
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Chemistry "Toso Montanari'', University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 4, 40135, Bologna, Italy.|Environmental Management and Consulting (EMC), Innovation Lab S.r.l., Viale Italia 29, 47921, Rimini, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cespi
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D004852:Epoxy Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D005995:Glyceryl Ethers / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D020005:Propanols / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D005995:Glyceryl Ethers; D020005:Propanols; C004312:glycidol
keywords: biobased industry; glycidol; green chemistry; lewis acids; life cycle assessment