Continuous dehydration of glycerol to Acrolein based on HPW/TS-COOH catalyzation

Sustainable synthesis of acrolein, a key chemical intermediate, from biomass-derived glycerol is highly attractive. However, conventional catalysts for the dehydration of glycerol suffer from low acrolein selectivity and high deactivation tendency. Herein, a novel green catalyst (HPW/T_0.6 S-COOH) was prepared and employed in the dehydration of glycerol in a continuous flow reactor. The performance of different catalysts and the effects of reaction conditions (reaction temperature, N₂ flow rate, and glycerol concentration) were examined. The HPW/T_0.6 S-COOH catalyst provides the best glycerol conversion of 96.38% and acrolein selectivity of 92.01%. The NH₃-TPD and pyridine-FTIR results indicate that the Brønsted acid site is more susceptible to acrolein, while the weak strength acid site effectively prevents the further reaction of acrolein, providing practical insights for the rational design of efficient and continuous synthesis of acrolein catalysts.