Catalytic Etherification of Glycerol with Alcohols

Abstract

Glycerol ethers could be the good fuel additives. In recent years, the etherification of glycerol has been widely investigated. We tried to perform the synthesis of glycerol ethers using different alcohols – ethanol, isopropanol, tert-butanol. Amberlyst-15, Amberlyst-36, Montmorillonite K 10, β-zeolite were used as catalysts. The etherification reaction between glycerol and alcohols was carried out under atmospheric pressure, by operating at different temperatures ranging from 60 °C to boiling temperatures, at different reaction times and at both different catalyst/glycerol and alcohol/glycerol rates. We also tried to perform this reaction using ultrasonic and microwave conditions. The best results were achieved, when toluene as a solvent and Amberlyst-36 as a catalyst were used.