Continuous Production of Lactic Acid from Glycerol over Bifunctional Catalysts under Base-Free Conditions Using a Liquid-Phase Flow Reactor
Erisa Kano, Takeshi Aihara, I. Tyrone Ghampson, Takeyuki Nogami, Hiroki Miura, Tetsuya Shishido
Abstract
The highly efficient conversion of glycerol into value-added chemicals with high selectivity is an attractive issue in biorefineries. In this study, the performances of metal-acid bifunctional catalysts for converting glycerol to lactic acid were investigated under an oxygen atmosphere without additives, such as strong bases using a continuous liquid-phase flow reactor. We found that Pt/L-Nb2O5 (L-Nb2O5: layered Nb2O5) is the most promising catalyst for the continuous production of lactic acid from glycerol due to the optimal oxidation ability and the high Lewis and Brønsted acidities of Pt/L-Nb2O5. Furthermore, Pt/L-Nb2O5 exhibited a stable catalytic performance (lactic acid formation rate of 25.3 mmol g–1 h–1 with 77% selectivity) for 80 h without a strong base.