| Catalyst for Selective Acid Transesterfication |
| Reference: |
3881 |
| Summary: |
Iowa State University and Ames Laboratory are looking for industry partners to commercialize a newly developed bi-functional, heterogeneous catalyst that is designed to expel aqueous byproducts formed during transesterfications reactions. |
| Description: |
The ability to separate functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) for recycling has enabled applications of these materials as heterogeneous catalysts in many chemical transformations. However, their sensitivity to hydrolysis and subsequent loss of catalytic performance has reduced the economic benefit potential of MSN catalysts. To address this drawback, Iowa State University and Ames Laboratory researchers have developed an efficient bifunctional MSN catalyst for esterification reactions. Superior reactivity has been achieved using this catalyst by supplementing the catalytic groups with secondary functionality designed to expel the resulting aqueous by-products, thereby preventing hydrolysis of the silica surface and plugging of the nano-environment. The principle employed in the architecture of this new catalyst makes it suitable for reactions involving dehydration and yields compounds of high purity.
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| Advantage: |
- Robust structure enables multiple recycling
- High purity yields are achieved by efficiently expelling by-products of reaction
- Enhanced reactivity compared to existing commercial catalysts
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| Application: |
acid transesterfication, dehydration reaction |
| Stage: |
Lab trials have been successful
|
| Supporting Documents: |
|
| Patents: |
Patent(s) Applied For
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| License Associate: |
Craig Forney
E-mail: licensing@iastate.edu
Phone: 515-294-9513
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| Keywords: |
heterogeneous catalyst, acid transesterfication, reycling, dehydration, Ames Laboratory
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| Entry Date: |
February 6, 2012 |
| Revised Date: |
April 22, 2013 |
