Green synthesis of glycerol carbonate from glycerol and CO2 using a polymeric ionic liquid catalyst: An experimental and theoretical study
Journal
Journal of Cleaner Production
Journal Volume
560
Start Page
148344
ISSN
09596526
Date Issued
2026-05-10
Author(s)
Abstract
The catalytic conversion of waste glycerol (GLY) and emitted CO2 to produce glycerol carbonate (GC) is a promising approach for adding value to waste products and reducing CO2 emissions. However, the selectivity and yield of the traditional catalytic method remain low. In this study, propylene oxide (PO) was introduced to replace conventional dehydration agents, and quaternary ammonium ionic liquids having different halide counterions (I−, Cl−, and Br−) were used as catalysts. The addition of PO resulted in a two-step GLY/CO2 reaction involving cycloaddition and transesterification. The addition of the quaternary ammonium ionic liquid catalyst resulted in the reaction becoming thermodynamically favorable. Among the studied catalysts, the iodide-containing quaternary ammonium ionic liquid, denoted PDBA-I, showed the best catalytic yield of 69.4% of glycerol carbonate after self-polymerization. In addition, solvent effects were investigated, and the combination of PDBA-I with methanol achieved a GC yield of 77.2% under mild conditions (100 °C and 15 bar of CO2). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed the experimentally observed reduction in the activation energy barrier and the roles of GLY and PO. These findings highlight the unique advantage of employing a halide-containing quaternary ammonium ionic liquid catalyst, offering new insights and an effective strategy for achieving highly active GLY carboxylation.
Subjects
Carbon dioxide conversion
Glycerol
Glycerol carbonate
Polymeric ionic liquids
Propylene oxide
Publisher
Elsevier Ltd
Type
journal article