Gas Phase Glycerol Valorization over Ceria Nanostructures with Well-Defined Morphologies

Glycerol solutions were vaporized and reacted over ceria catalysts with different morphologies to investigate the relationship of product distribution surface facets exposed, particularly, yield bio-renewable methanol. Ceria was prepared cubic, rodlike, polyhedral via hydrothermal synthesis by altering concentration precipitating agent or temperature. conversion found be low a cubic morphology, this ascribed both area relatively high acidity. Density functional theory calculations also showed that (100) is likely hydroxylated under reaction conditions which could limit availability basic sites. Methanol space-time-yields samples more than four times for material at 400 °C, where 201 g methanol produced per hour kilogram catalyst. Under comparable glycerol conversions, we show rodlike produce major intermediate methanol, hydroxyacetone (HA), selectivity ca. 45%, but sample, 15%. This equates 13-fold increase in space-time-yield HA compared cubes 320 °C. The implications difference are discussed respect mechanism, suggesting mechanism dominates catalysts. strong association between exposed yields an important consideration future catalyst design area.