Efficiently and Directly Produce Triacetylglycerol from Oils and Fats Over Mesoporous Polymer Solid Acid Catalysts

A series of mesoporous solid acid catalysts (PDS-x) with large BET surface area, superior thermal stability, strong sulfonic acid groups and tunable Brönsted acidity were synthesized by copolymerization of divinylbenzene (DVB) and p-styrenesulfonate hydrate (SPSS). The PDS-x catalysts showed high activity on the direct and efficient production of triacetylglycerol (TAG) by acyl exchange reaction of oils (fats) and acetic acid. The highest TAG yield of 92.2 mol% was obtained on the PDS-x catalysts at a mild condition of 200 o C. By combining SEM, TEM, FT-IR/DRIFT, BET, XRD, and TG-DTG, the key factors that affected the TAG yield were clarified on the PDS-x catalysts. Moreover, the origin of the slow deactivation on these catalysts was elucidated. The large BET surface area and abundant mesopores allowed the contact of large-sized glycerol tristearate with the strong sulfonic acid groups, accounting for the high TAG yield.